Finding My Own Way
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Sookie's world gets turned upside down by her handsome, yet very mysterious, new neighbor. Will she be able to help him face the demons of his past, and maybe help herself in the process?
1. Chapter 1

**Not much to say about this one, it's just a little something I thought of. I will say that if you are a Bill fan, this isn't the story for you. I don't have much love for him and after the utter disappointment of season 4; fan fiction is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. I really hope you guys would like it, feel free to let me know how I'm doing. I'll take anything right about now=)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Sookie wasn't really a pervert, but when you had an actual Adonis living next door, one could only be curious. In a small town like Bon Temps, Louisiana, you didn't normally get residents like him. Eric Northman, he was tall with long, blond hair, and a body that any woman would fantasize about. As usual, she found herself staring out of the kitchen window, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

"Should have known you'd be lurking in here, I don't know what your fixation is with that guy. You know what they say about him."

Sookie rolled her eyes, turning to address her friend. "You know I don't listen to pointless gossip, Arlene. They're only rumors, has anyone actually talked to him?"

The red headed woman shrugged. "Everyone's probably too scared, and with good reason. Why else would a man like that move to this place if not to run away from something? He's always keeping to himself, hardly ever leaves that house. It's just a bit too suspicious, if you ask me. No one is that private unless they have something to hide. If you were smart, you'd stay away from him. I heard from Marcy down at the salon that he butchered his own family and buried them in the backyard, that's why he had to move so suddenly. It's just tragic."

She would have laughed at just the idea of that, but the expression on Arlene's face had her deciding against it. "Well, I'm going over there to introduce myself," Sookie said, ignoring her comment and picking up the plate of cookies she baked earlier that day.

Arlene looked appalled. "You can't be serious! Did you not hear a word I just said?"

"I heard you; I just don't believe any of it. This man is a stranger and we rarely get any in town, that's why everyone is so quick to judge him. You should get to know a person before you make crazy accusations about them. He's been here for several weeks, and I haven't even gone by to say hello. Gran would have been disgusted with such behavior; she would have had me go over there the second he moved in."

Arlene crossed her arms over her chest. "And why haven't you made with the introductions yet? It's because you believe there is some truth to those rumors, don't you?"

Sookie rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time. "No, I just didn't know what to say once I met him. My palms always get sweaty at just the thought of it. He's beyond gorgeous, I'm sure even you've noticed that."

"I do have eyes, doesn't mean I'm gonna get in bed with the devil. Besides, what would Bill say if he knew you were having naughty thoughts about your neighbor?"

Sookie let out a breath, hoping to delay this conversation a bit longer. "It doesn't matter what he says, I'm planning to break up with him."

Her eyes widened. "Seriously? You two were high school sweethearts; everyone thought you'd get married. When did you decide this?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while now," Sookie admitted. "We're not the same people we used to be, everything I once found charming about Bill no longer applies. He's too controlling, and I really can't see myself marrying someone like that."

"Don't worry, Sook, I'm sure you'll find a nice man to settle down with soon enough. You can be as happy as I am."

Sookie laughed. "No offense, but you're only twenty-seven and already on husband number four. I don't think I ever want to be that happy. Once I do decide to get married, I plan on that being it."

Arlene shrugged. "Whatever works for you, but I gotta get going now. Have to pick the kids up from school, just be careful when you go over there. I wouldn't wanna see you get hurt, and there's something I really don't trust about him."

Sookie nodded as her friend left the house, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. It was time to put on her big girl panties and with that thought in mind; she headed next door to finally meet Eric Northman. She knocked three times and received no answer, but a noise coming from the back had her changing direction, really not prepared for the sight in front of her. Eric was working in the yard, shirtless and sweaty, with his long hair tied back. Her jaw nearly dropped, never before had she seen such a perfect male specimen. Sookie didn't know how long she stood there, until a throat being cleared broke her out of her reverie, realizing that he caught her staring. She blushed under his gaze, thinking of something to say. "I brought cookies," was all she could manage to get out.

He raised his eyebrows, clearly amused.

Sookie decided to try again. "To welcome you to the neighborhood, I know I'm a little late and wasn't sure what you liked, but I figured you can't go wrong with chocolate chip. My name is Sookie Stackhouse, I live next door, but I'm guessing that's pretty obvious. It's the old house to your right, my grandmother's house; it was left to me after she died. I've been living there by myself for about two years now." She put an end to her rambling, afraid that she'd just go ahead and tell him her whole life story. He probably already thought she was a mental case. "Right, so, I'll just leave this here and get out of your way. Sorry to bother you," she finished, about to put the plate down, but his voice stopped her.

"Would you like to come in? I can't possibly eat all of these by myself."

Sookie nodded, giving him a smile. "Sure, I can do that." She followed him in the house, taking a look around. Not much unpacking had been done yet, if the numerous boxes were anything to go by.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

She was about to respond, but again couldn't stop staring at his muscular chest, shaking herself out of her daze. "Yes, some water would be nice, you're very hot. I mean, it's hot outside." Sookie cursed herself, wishing a black hole would open up and swallow her right about now. Could she possibly be a bigger ditz?

He smiled, nodding after a moment. "I'll just go put something on."

Sookie wanted to tell him that he didn't have to, but it would probably be best to keep her mouth shut. She kept busy by glancing around the house; he already had a few pictures up on the mantle. There were a lot of him when he was younger, even since then, he was always good looking. There were a few of another woman, blonde, and incredibly stunning. She looked like a model, but it was the photograph in the back that really caught her attention. Eric was with a dark haired woman, they looked to be in a park, a young child cuddled in between them. The little girl was beautiful, and appeared to be about six or seven. The picture couldn't have been taken all that long ago.

She was startled by another throat being cleared behind her, immediately turning around to see that Eric was no longer amused. He remained silent, only handing her a bottle of water. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.

"Thank you for the cookies, but I have a lot of things to do today. As you can see, I'm really horrible when it comes to unpacking. I should get back to that."

Sookie knew a brush off when she heard one, and felt horrible because of it. He probably thought she was another one of the gossip mongrels in town, just looking for something new to spread about him. Before she could say anything, he was ushering her over to the front door.

"It was nice to meet you."

And just like that, the door was closed in her face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"It was so embarrassing, Ames. He probably thought I was some stalker. I go over there and basically do nothing but ogle him, then I look through his personal photos. He'll never talk to me again."

Amelia Broadway placed a calming hand on her friend's arm. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you think, but maybe this is for the best. Eric sounds like he comes with a lot of baggage. Do you think that picture was of the wife and kid? I heard he chopped them into tiny pieces and buried the body parts where no one could ever find them."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Not you, too, I thought you of all people wouldn't believe those rumors. He seems like a nice man, from the little time I spent with him. You didn't see that picture, the way he was holding that little girl, there was nothing but love. It's all in the eyes, and I don't care what anyone says, there is no way he could have killed them. Maybe he just went through a bad divorce, I'm sure it's not as serious as everyone's making it out to be."

Amelia agreed. "Don't look now, but your former boy toy has just arrived. Let him down gently, okay? No, scratch that, make it hurt. I never did like the douche."

Sookie took in a deep breath, heading over to the table where Bill Compton was waiting on her. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"You said you wanted to talk."

She nodded. "Yes, but not right now, I'm working. I was going to come to your house later."

Bill let out a sigh. "Just say what you need to, Sookie. I'm not about to wait around at my house when I know you plan on breaking up with me."

Sookie sat down across from him. "What makes you say that?"

"You've been distant lately, and you said we needed to talk. Nothing good ever follows that."

"I'm sorry, Bill, but you had to know things weren't working out. We loved each other once, but it just hasn't been the same since high school. We want too many different things," she explained.

He scowled at her, and with a nod, stood up. "Fine, we'll go our separate ways, but I guarantee you'll end up regretting it. There isn't anyone in this town willing to put up with you like I have. I should get a fucking medal for all the shit I've had to deal with, but this couldn't have come at a better time. Since we're no longer together, I can now tell you that I've been seeing Lorena on the side. She gives me everything I could want. Let's face it, sweetheart, you're a bit lacking in that department. I hope you have a nice life," Bill spat, storming out of the bar.

Sookie was stunned, tears forming in her eyes at his hurtful words. How could things have gone so wrong? She broke up with him in the nicest way possible, and all he did was make her feel awful for it. That was not the same man Sookie fell in love with, he was an entirely different person to her now.

"Fucker, are you okay, Sook?"

She wiped her eyes, gazing up at her boss and good friend, Sam Merlotte. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Sam sat down, taking one of her hands in his. "I promise you, that bastard won't be allowed in here again. He just wanted to cause a scene and make you look bad, that's why he chose to talk here instead of at his place. Some guys just can't handle rejection."

Sookie figured that out, but it didn't make her feel any better.

"You can take your break now if you want."

She nodded, smiling when he got up to head back to his office. Sam was always good to her, but they just didn't have that kind of relationship. In some ways, Sookie wished she was more attracted to him. He would be the perfect man for her to get involved with, but they were just better at being friends. The one date they went on left both of them feeling very awkward afterward. She'd been working at Merlotte's Bar and Grill since she was nineteen, Sam would normally have not hired you unless you were over twenty-one, but he must have seen something in her. She was just recently out of high school, and very desperate for a job since her grandmother passed away. Sookie always figured Sam gave her a chance out of pity, but it was the best thing that could have happened to her. She was almost twenty-three now.

The room suddenly grew very quiet as Sookie turned to the entrance, her eyes widening when Eric Northman walked in. As far as she knew, that was the first time he'd ever been inside the bar. She noticed him sit at one of her tables, figuring this would be the perfect opportunity for her to try talking to him again, at least to apologize for what happened the other day at his house. Grabbing her notepad, she stood up and made her way over to his table, putting on a smile. "Hi, welcome to Merlotte's, what can I get you?"

Eric glanced up at the cheery voice, not surprised in the slightest to see her there. "What do you recommend?"

"Oh, our turkey burgers are to die for, the best in town. It comes with everything on it, but I could put whatever you like. It also comes with a plate of our homemade steak fries."

He nodded. "I'll take your word for it. Could I get a black coffee with that?"

Sookie nodded eagerly, making a note of his order. "Sure can, would you like anything else?"

"No, that should hold me for now."

Sookie took his menu, gracing him with one more smile before heading back to the kitchen. "One turkey burger with everything on it," she told Lafayette, the head chef, and then went to get his beverage. The pot wasn't on as no one tended to make a habit of ordering coffee at night, but she was willing to get him anything he desired.

"I think he's the stalker now," Amelia claimed.

Sookie looked up at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

The brunette shrugged. "It's obvious he knew you worked here, and from what you told me, that topic didn't come up in the little conversation you two had. He so wants to get in your pants."

She rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "I really doubt that, it's just a coincidence."

"Well, I would be careful. A guy like that could probably go for hours."

Sookie blushed, taking Eric his coffee and deciding that now would be the best time to have a talk with him. "I'm very sorry for what happened earlier, I didn't mean to be so nosy. I can get like that sometimes, but I promise that I'm completely harmless."

He smiled; taking a sip of his coffee and putting it back down on the table. "No, I should be apologizing. I get a little touchy sometimes about my stuff, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. That's why I'm here; I heard that you worked here and guess I was a little impatient to wait for you to return home. It's no secret that I already have a bit of a reputation, but I didn't want to be known as the guy who bites the head off of the neighbors for no reason. It was very kind of you to stop by, and those cookies were delicious."

She smiled as well, beyond relieved to hear that. "I'm glad you liked them, it was my grandmother's recipe."

"Order's up!" Lafayette called from the back.

"I'll go get your burger now," Sookie told him, and with another smile firmly in place, headed back to the kitchen to do just that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sookie hated that she was doing this, but didn't see another choice. She wanted the few items that belonged to Bill out of her house, and knew he wasn't likely to stop by any time soon to collect them. If she had anything to say about it, this would be the last time she would ever set foot near the old Compton residence. It had been in his family for generations, and she always found the place to be a bit creepy.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Sookie took a step back at his harsh tone, seeing that he was shirtless and his hair was all disarrayed. She was pissed off that he had the nerve to be mad at her after everything he said the other night. Instead of answering, she thrust the box of his things against his chest. "I wanted your junk out of my house. It's all there, every little thing you decided to leave behind."

He threw the box to the floor, not giving it a second thought. "You think I really care about any of that stuff? You could have just burned it, but you chose to come here. I think you just wanted to see me again. Regretting your decision already, are you?"

She laughed. "You must be dense if you think I could ever regret that, especially with how you spoke to me at Merlotte's. You are not the only man in this world, Bill Compton. I will find someone else, and he'll be ten times better than you. I'm relieved that I realized this now, thank you for making me see the light."

Bill grabbed her arm in a tight grip, getting into her face. "You are nothing but a worthless bitch, you know that? This is all just a front; I was the best thing to ever happen to you. When you end up all alone, don't come crying to me. I've gotten better pleasure from my own hand, sharing a bed with you is like sleeping with a cold fish. I'm glad I can finally be honest about that."

Sookie ripped her possibly now bruised arm out of his grasp, not about to let him see her on the verge of tears.

"William, are you done yet?" a voice whined from inside the house. "You have a real woman now, no need to waste your time with that loser. Come back to bed, baby."

"I'll be there in a second, sweetheart," he responded, turning back to Sookie one last time. "Lorena always knows just how to keep me satisfied. Every time I was with you, I had to picture her just to get off."

Before Sookie could stop herself, she slapped him hard across the face. "Go to hell," she snapped, heading back across the cemetery and officially out of that bastard's life.

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><p>No matter how hard she tried to control it, the tears wouldn't stop when Sookie finally reached her house. He made her feel worthless; it was as if their entire time together meant nothing to him. She now had to wonder if it was all a lie, maybe he never did love her. How could someone be so hurtful if they really loved you? She wiped her eyes, tired of crying over Bill Compton. He wasn't worthy of a single tear.<p>

"Are you all right?"

Sookie was startled out of her thoughts, and truly embarrassed to have Eric see her like that. She nodded, giving him a small smile. "I'm fine, just dealing with allergies."

He obviously didn't believe her, but decided to let it go. "I'm thinking about redecorating my house, possibly give it a paint job, but I could really use a woman's opinion. I don't know much about this stuff."

"Oh, I could help you with that," Sookie chirped, suddenly in a much better mood. This would be just the distraction she needed.

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><p>"I'm not sure if I should go light or dark. What do you think?"<p>

Sookie glanced around his living room, seeing that there were only a couple of boxes left to unpack. "I think maybe a light blue would work in here, it'll really open the room up. And since this is the first area you see when you walk in, you want it to be more inviting. For the bedrooms, you should probably go with a beige color."

Eric nodded, giving her suggestions some consideration. "It's only one bedroom, I was thinking of turning the second into an office of some kind."

"In that case, maybe like a dark blue. I guess it depends on the kind of atmosphere you want the office to have, if it's supposed to be serious, or just for fun."

He smiled. "Anything goes; it just basically consists of my computer right now. I used to own a night club in New York, but I've been trying to get back on my feet. New place, new job, so far I've only managed to get work at a construction site. The pay isn't much, but it's better than nothing. How long have you been a waitress?"

"For almost four years now, I've been at the bar since I was nineteen. It was right after my Gran passed and I really needed a job, Sam's been great to me."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Eric wondered, trying not to seem too interested.

She shook her head, a smile forming on her face. "No, he's my boss, we're just good friends. I actually broke up with my boyfriend recently, he wasn't right for me."

Eric noticed her rubbing a spot on her arm, gently taking hold of her wrist to examine it better. "Where did you get that?"

Sookie saw him staring at her very obvious bruise, once again cursing Bill Compton with every fiber of her being. "It's nothing; I can be such a klutz sometimes. So, let's talk more about your office."

Eric knew a subject change when he heard one, and figured that Sookie would tell him the truth when she was ready. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't have a few secrets of his own.

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><p>Sookie sat down on the couch, admiring their handy work. Only half of the wall was painted so far, but she was definitely right with the color choice. It brightened up the whole room and once they were finished, it would look beyond amazing. She took in a deep breath, gazing at the man beside her and thinking of how to start this particular conversation.<p>

"You're a nice person, Eric. I can tell that from just spending a few days with you, it's not right for everyone to say such horrible things. I'm assuming you've heard the rumors, why haven't you set them straight yet? I mean, people are saying you killed your family, it's just silly." He grew very quiet and Sookie was worried that she had offended him, but when he did finally speak up, it was the last thing she expected to hear.

"They're not wrong."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sookie was stunned, too lost in her thoughts to realize he got up. When he came back, she noticed he was holding the picture that had her interest the first time she was in his house.

"I was with my wife for twelve years. We had our ups and downs, but what couple doesn't? We were on our annual family vacation, we took one every year. My daughter, Emily, had just turned eight the week before. To make a long story short, I was arguing with Felicia about something trivial, I hardly remember it now. Emily was in the backseat playing with one of her dolls, not even paying attention to us. I took my eyes off of the road for a second, but it was one second too long. I didn't notice the truck until it crashed into us, causing our car to roll over twice. I couldn't get to my little girl, she was crying and there was nothing I could do about it. There was no movement at all from Felicia, and I had to assume the worst. When the paramedics finally arrived, we were safely removed from the vehicle, but I knew my wife was dead. Emily was very severely injured, I rode with her in the ambulance, but she didn't even make it to the hospital. I just sat there and watched helplessly as my daughter took her last breath. It was all a blur after that, I remembered being rushed to the ER, but I must have passed out at some point. After everything, I only got away with a few broken ribs and a minor concussion. How is that fair?"

Sookie didn't realize she had tears in her eyes at his heartbreaking confession, quickly wiping them away. "It wasn't your fault."

For some reason, that angered him. He stood up and started pacing the room, throwing his hands up in the air. "Everyone has been telling me that, but I was the one driving. I was the one who lost focus, and it was enough to cost me my family. I don't need pity, and I don't need you to tell me it wasn't my fault. I've been hearing it for nearly two years now. What I need to know is why? Why was I spared? Why am I here when they're not? Why did I survive and not them? My daughter was only eight-years-old, she was just a baby. The most beautiful, wonderful, little girl you could ever meet. Whenever I had a bad day at work, I would come home and she would smile at me. She would make me feel like I did one thing right in this world. I brought her into it, so I must have done something right."

He was openly crying now, and there was no way Sookie could just ignore that. She got up and went over to him, wrapping her arms around his large frame, relieved when he returned the embrace. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Bad stuff always happens to good people, it's never fair, but you can't keep blaming yourself. It was not your fault." Even though he didn't want to hear it, she had to make him understand somehow. "The only person to blame is the moron who was driving the truck."

Eric wiped his eyes, pulling away from her. He hated showing so much emotion. "The fucker was drunk; he actually tried to walk away from the accident. It pisses me off that he even managed to be able to walk, but the police arrested him. As far as I know, he's still in jail."

She nodded. "There you go, he was just some drunken idiot who was stupid enough to get behind the wheel. He's the one to blame for this, don't take it out on yourself. I believe your family loved you more than anything, and I know you loved them. They wouldn't want you to keep beating yourself up like this."

"I thought I was getting better. I sold my club when I couldn't handle it anymore, then I packed everything up and moved far away as to not have a constant reminder of what I lost. I never thought I was the type to run from my problems, but I just couldn't be there any longer. It was too hard."

Sookie took his hand in hers, leading him back over to the couch. "I can understand that. After my parents died, I completely shut down. I didn't talk to anyone for weeks, would hardly even eat. It was my Gran who eventually brought me back, she made me realize that my parents would want me to be happy and try to go on without them. I didn't think I could, but she said that she'd never give up on me. I was only ten at the time; she took me in and raised me as her own. Me and my brother, but he was hardly ever around. The second he turned eighteen, he just took off for God knows where. We haven't seen him in years, and he hasn't really cared to keep in touch all that often. I was so hurt when he didn't bother showing up for Gran's funeral. He called me days later to say he was sorry, but he couldn't deal with another death in the family. It didn't matter that I needed him there; Jason only ever really cares about himself, but I've managed fine on my own these last couple of years. I know you will, too. It just takes time, but you will get through this. I'll be right next door if you ever need me for anything, no matter what it is. If you just need someone to talk to, I'm your girl. I've been told that I'm a great listener."

He graced her with a small smile, bringing her hand to his mouth and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Thank you, I appreciate that. I'm sorry for your loss as well, and for yelling at you. I guess talking about them is still a sore subject for me, this is the first time I've really opened up to anyone about it."

Sookie was flattered to be the one that he decided to open up to, but he wasn't finished.

"Since we're suddenly being so honest, can you tell me what really happened to your arm? It looks like someone grabbed you. Do I have to beat this person up?"

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I don't think that's necessary, it wouldn't be much of a fight. You could probably take Bill with both hands tied behind your back."

He raised his eyebrows. "Bill Compton?"

"Yes, how do you know him?"

Eric shrugged. "I don't, but he tends to come around the construction site every now and then. I think he's friends with my boss. I've always had an urge to hit him, but this gives me an even bigger reason to do so."

Sookie shook her head. "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble or anything; he's not worth it."

"What did he do?"

She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "We've been dating since high school, but he's changed and I decided to break up with him. He didn't exactly take it very well. Or he did, I'm still not so sure on that. Basically, he told me off in Merlotte's and admitted that he had been cheating on me. I went to his house the other day to return some of his stuff, and she was in there with him. This slut that he works with, I always knew she had a thing for him. Anyway, words were said and he grabbed me a little roughly. That's all it was, I slapped him in the face and took off. Hopefully that's the last I'll ever have to see of him, if Bill knows what's good for him, he'll stay away."

Eric clenched his fists at his side. "Okay, but if that's not the last you see of him, I want you to tell me." He held his hand up when it looked like she was about to argue. "I'm sure you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but I need to know if he ever hurts you again. I'm your friend, Sookie; you're the only one I've made since moving here. I want you to know that this whole talking thing goes both ways. If you ever need me for anything, I'll be here for you."

That was the first time he acknowledged them being friends, and even though she had more in mind, Sookie would take what she could get.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A couple more weeks went by and Sookie was slowly going out of her mind. She loved being Eric's friend, getting to spend so much time with him at his house was a lot of fun, even if they spent most of that time fixing the place up. The problem was that she was developing a big time crush on him, it was so much worse than just crushing on him from afar. Now that she knew him a little better, Sookie didn't think it would ever go away, but she had to respect the fact that he just wanted to be friends. Eric never came out and said it, but she had a feeling that he wasn't ready to date yet. It had only been about two years since his wife and daughter were taken from him, and while some may think that was enough time to move on, for others it would take longer. Besides, a man like that could get anyone he wanted, and there was no way he would ever be interested in her. She just had to accept her fate.

With a smile firmly in place, Sookie headed next door to pay her good friend a visit, a sudden frown forming when she saw another blonde woman in his driveway. The same woman from the pictures she noticed on his mantel. They looked to be having a heated conversation, and Sookie didn't know if she should intrude, but felt wrong to just be eavesdropping on them.

"You can't possibly tell me this place is right for you, Eric. It's some lame hick town, I know you're still in mourning, but this is just ridiculous. You need to come home, everyone misses you."

He shook his head. "I can't do that, Pam. I know you don't understand why I had to make this choice, but it's become the best thing for me. I actually like it here, and I've put a lot of work into this house. I'm not going anywhere, at least not for a while."

She was about to argue some more, but noticed they weren't alone. "Oh, I see, and does _she_ have anything to do with that decision?"

Eric turned around to see Sookie watching them with a sheepish expression on her face, shaking his head. "This is Sookie Stackhouse; she's my neighbor and has become a good friend of mine."

Sookie took that as her cue to join them. "I'm sorry to bother you; I didn't think I should interrupt."

"Think nothing of it. Sookie, this is Pamela, my sister. She came all this way just to tell me that I'm a complete idiot for taking off the way I did, as if I couldn't figure that out for myself. I'm not going back, Pam, you made this trip for nothing. You can't possibly understand what I'm going through, or why I needed to do this, but I've made up my mind. You should go back; I'm a big boy now. I can take care of myself."

Pam scoffed, looking Sookie up and down. "Right, and I'm sure the pretty little neighbor will do everything in her power to help you get back on your feet. What are you after? Do you want money, or is this just about fucking a widower and bragging to all of your hick friends? You get off on that sort of thing?"

"That's enough, Pamela! If you can't behave yourself, I want you to leave. I won't have you be disrespectful to her."

Sookie avoided the other woman's gaze, feeling beyond mortified. She heard her drive away a second later, without so much as another word.

Eric let out a sigh once she was gone. "I'm sorry about that; my sister can be a bitch sometimes. She's never grasped the concept of tact."

Sookie glanced up at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's okay; she's just worried about you."

"More like she's tired of having to deal with my parents and wants me to go back to face them, but that's the last thing I plan on doing. I'm thirty-seven and they still treat me like a child, my mother even tried to set me up on a blind date only six months after the accident. I never would have been ready, but she always goes on about how she doesn't want me to end up alone. There are so many reasons of why I had to get out of there, but enough about them. Why did you stop by?"

She shrugged, taking in a deep breath. "No reason, I was just bored and wondered if you wanted to hang out, but I should have called first."

He graced her with a smile. "You know that isn't necessary, but I could really use the company. I have to ask, though, why is a young woman such as yourself always hanging around with an old man like me? I'm sure you have plenty of other friends you would rather spend time with."

"You are so not old, mister. Besides, I'll be twenty-three in a few months. It's not so bad."

"Right, only fifteen years separates us. That's not so bad at all," Eric said teasingly.

She slapped him lightly on the arm, rolling her eyes in the process. "Do you wanna watch a movie or what? I brought a couple that you might like, but if you're really against us spending so much time together, I'll just go ask one of my younger friends."

He grabbed her hand before she could walk away, leading her inside of the house. "You can stay, I promise to be good."

Sookie smiled at the feel of his much larger hand caressing hers, pulling away with a blush.

"Go ahead and set up the movie, I'll make us some popcorn."

She got comfortable on the couch after she put the movie in; just looking around at all they've done to the house in the short time he'd been there. Once Eric came back, Sookie felt her heart flutter when he put an arm around her as the movie started. She had to keep telling herself that they were just friends, no matter how much it pained her to do so.

* * *

><p>"You so need to get laid."<p>

Sookie rolled her eyes. "That's your answer for everything. I haven't been broken up with Bill for that long."

Amelia gave her friend a look. "Yes, but tell me the truth, how much did you really sleep with him when you were together? From what you told me, it's been nearly a year since the last time. That should have probably given you a big clue he was getting his jollies elsewhere, men can't go that long without sex."

"I'm not you, Ames. I'm not just going to find some stranger to sleep with; I want it to mean something."

She let out a sigh. "And let me guess, you want it with Eric. Sook, you guys have been all chummy for over a month now and nothing has happened. If he hasn't put out yet, he's never going to. You need to move on and realize once you're in the friend zone, that's about as far as it's gonna go. This obsession you have with him isn't healthy."

"It's not an obsession," Sookie spoke up. "I care about him, and if that means we just remain friends for the rest of our lives, then so be it. I would rather have Eric as a friend over not having him at all."

Amelia shook her head. "You've really got it bad. Are you sure you don't want me to set something up with Tray's friend? The guy is seriously hot, a few hours with him and I guarantee you'll forget Eric even exists."

Sookie finished wiping off her last table. "I highly doubt that, but I'm just not interested. I can get my own dates."

"You can't make that happen if you spend practically every night with your neighbor."

Sookie watched her head back to the kitchen, wondering if there was any truth to her words. Maybe Amelia was right, it was pretty obvious that nothing would happen with Eric. When he looked at her, it wasn't as if she was anything special, just another friend that he took up time with. He probably looked at everyone the same way. All she was doing was torturing herself by hoping he would want something more, that was no way for anyone to live. "Hey, Ames? You can tell Tray that I'll agree to meet his friend, but that's only if you guys are there. We can go on a double date or something."

Amelia squealed and clapped her hands, throwing her arms around the blonde. "You won't regret this, Sook, we're gonna have so much fun."

Sookie smiled at her friend's excitement, trying to feel some of her own, but her heart just wasn't in it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"So, what do you say about another movie night? I'll even watch a chick flick."

Sookie was startled by Eric's sudden appearance at her house; he never usually made a habit to come over. It was always her who visited him. "Raincheck? I actually have a date tonight."

He tried to hide his disappointment; of course she would have a date. A woman like Sookie would hardly stay single for long. "Oh, yeah, that's fine. We can do it another time."

For some reason, she felt the need to clarify her plans. "Amelia set it up, she thinks I need to get back out there, but I doubt it'll really lead to anything." Sookie bit her bottom lip, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I know it's not my business, but you should probably do the same. You've been in town for months now and no one really knows you, it couldn't hurt to meet new people. We don't bite here. Most of us, anyway."

Eric nodded, running his fingers through his hair. "I'll consider it, but even if it doesn't lead to anything, I hope you have a good time."

Sookie watched him head back over to his house with a frown, wondering if she would come to regret her decision.

* * *

><p>Alcide Herveaux seemed like a decent guy, and Amelia was not wrong when she said he was good looking. He was tall, very muscular, with long, wavy, black hair. In another life, he could have been just the type of man she'd have gone for. He was fascinating and had such wonderful stories that anyone would have loved to listen to, but all Sookie could think about was Eric. Alcide himself just recently broke up with his fiancée, a woman he was with for six years. She could tell there were still some lingering feelings involved and sensed that he didn't want to be on this date as much as she didn't, which was confirmed when the two finally got a minute alone.<p>

"I'm sorry if I'm talking too much. I only agreed to this because Tray wouldn't get off my case about it, but I'm nowhere near ready to date yet. You're a very nice person and if the situation was different…"

Sookie raised a hand to cut him off, gracing him with a warm smile. "Believe me, I completely understand. I think our friends were trying to play matchmaker. They assume since their relationship is perfect, we should be just as happy, but it's not that easy." She held her hand out to him. "Friends? You can never have too many of those."

He returned her smile, giving her hand a firm shake. "Well, Miss Stackhouse, it looks like you have yourself a new friend."

* * *

><p>Eric couldn't stop thinking about her. This whole just being friends thing was driving him up the wall, when did they ever decide that? She probably just figured he wasn't ready for more, and on some level he wasn't, but was willing to break all the rules for Sookie. Then again, she most likely didn't see him in that way. It was fairly refreshing, to have someone like him for who he was and not because she wanted to jump his bones. Not that Eric would have minded at the moment, he was so beyond frustrated with the wanting of her. No woman had affected him in such a way since Felicia; he honestly didn't think anyone could again. Eric felt an intense jealousy when she told him about her date, and spent practically all night wondering what they were doing. Wondering if he touched her, kissed her, spent the night at her house. He didn't think Sookie was the type to sleep with a man on the first date, but the image was making him crazy. It took everything in him not to look out the window when he heard her come home, or pretend he was going to check the mail.<p>

Laughter ripped him out of his reverie, glaring at the sight of Bill Compton having a chat with his boss, John Quinn. Eric couldn't stand either of them; they were always going on about something petty. Quinn was a lowlife who would hit on anything that walked by the construction site, most of his comments were extremely inappropriate. He wondered why the two of them were always so chummy, and why Bill spent so much of his time there. Didn't he have a life of his own? It was even worse knowing that this was the man who hurt Sookie; it took all the power Eric possessed not to go over there and introduce Bill's face to his fist, but perked up when he heard the object of his affections being mentioned.

"I never realized just how miserable I was, but being free of Sookie is the best thing that could have happened to me. Lorena was away visiting family once and Sookie wasn't putting out, so I had to make up some sob story about my mother being in the hospital just to get laid. Let me tell you, it wasn't even worth it. Still, what I did love about her was how gullible she was, the bitch would believe anything I told her."

Quinn barked out a laugh. "She sounds like my kind of woman. If you're really done with her, I wouldn't mind giving her a go. I have nasty fantasies that involve me fucking her sweet ass in my trailer, I'm sure I could teach her a few things. You said Sookie wasn't good at giving head, I bet you anything by the time I'm done, she'll be sucking cock like a pro."

Bill waved his hand in the air. "You can do whatever the hell you want, but I guarantee it'll be a waste of time. The only reason I started dating her in the first place was because of some bet at school, she wasn't exactly very popular. Sookie was always known as the weird, quiet girl, I made a bet with one of the football players to see how long it would take to get her into the sack. It was only two weeks before she was giving it up, took her virginity and everything. She actually thought I loved her, after that I just kept her around for my own amusement. Lorena isn't the only one I've cheated on her with. I haven't been faithful during our entire relationship, if you can even call it that. I can't believe she never figured it out, but then again, she is Jason Stackhouse's sister. He's as dumb as they come; it's hard to tell who got the brains in that family."

Eric heard enough at that point, and really couldn't be held responsible for what he did next. He stormed over to Bill and clocked him right in the jaw, watching in satisfaction as he went down.

"Northman!" Quinn bellowed. "What the fuck is your problem? Get back to work or I'll have your ass canned!"

Eric ignored him, pointing a finger at Compton. "You don't get to talk about her, do you understand me? If I find that you've done anything to upset her again, I will make you pay severely."

Bill spat blood on the ground, standing up to scowl at the taller man. "What? Are you sweet on her or something? That's just really pathetic. Everyone knows Sookie will come crawling back; the bitch can't live without me. You'll never be enough."

Eric clenched his fists, getting into Bill's face and trying to control what little temper he had left. "Stay the fuck away from her, you only get one warning."

"That's enough!" Quinn yelled when it looked like Bill would retort. "Get lost, Northman, you're done for the day. Just be lucky I don't fire you right now, I don't wanna see you until next week."

He let loose another punch to Bill's face, giving them both one last scathing glare, then turned and walked away. Eric said all he needed to, and if Compton caused anymore trouble for Sookie, he would get far worse than that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sookie jumped when Bill barged into Merlotte's as if he owned the place, glad for once that Sam was out for the day. There's no telling what he would have done at the intrusion, especially since her former boyfriend was no longer allowed on the property. She saw that his face was bruised, but didn't have to wonder for long at how it happened.

"Keep your lap dog on a tighter leash, he comes near me again, I'll have him arrested. Don't underestimate the power I have in this town."

She was tired of letting Bill bully her, throwing in her face the fact that he would always have the upperhand. With that thought in mind, Sookie took off after him as he left the bar. "You hold it right there, Bill Compton! What the hell was that about? You have as much power in this town as I do, and I won't have you come to my work to belittle me."

He turned a glare on her. "Your new boy toy decided to beat me up for no good reason. I was just talking to my friend, minding my own damn business when he attacked me out of nowhere. He's obviously not very stable, and I heard all about his violent past. Is that the kind of man you like to associate with now? How long will it be until you're on the receiving end of one of his punches? When that happens, don't come crying to me. Do you really think a man like that could actually be interested in you? He's a player, always hitting on the pretty young girls at the construction site. I saw him lead one back to his car, and I think it's clear what they were doing. He even asked to borrow Quinn's trailer just so he could have more room."

"You are so full of crap, why should I believe anything you say? All you've ever done is lie to me."

Bill nodded, but he wasn't finished yet. "Do you remember when I told you about my mother? I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you the truth now. She was never sick, Sookie, I just wanted a good fuck. Well, I think good is putting it too nicely, but you got the job done. Let me guess, Eric told you some sob story about how his family died in a car crash, am I right? Yeah, he's told at least three other girls the same thing, and they bought into every word of it. He just wants to get laid, why else would anyone bother with you? He never had a kid, that woman is just one of his many conquests. The brat belongs to her; I assure you they are very much alive."

Sookie shook her head, finding the tears so much harder to keep back. None of that could be true, she wouldn't believe it. Eric seemed so genuinely heartbroken; no one could fake such emotion. "You're wrong, I met his sister. She said he was a widower and that he moved here to get away, she was trying to convince him to go back."

He rolled his eyes. "You really are naïve. She's just someone he paid to make the story seem real; he knew you were likely to ask about her at some point. Hell, he probably fucked her right after they got through laughing at your expense. Pamela, is it? I saw her visit him at the site a few weeks ago, they went off somewhere to be alone. That is one fine looking woman; compared to you I can't say that I blame him. The reason of why he hit me is because he knew I figured him out, I warned him to stay away from you, but I guess he thinks you belong to him or something. The man is a bit possessive, if you ask me. I'm just looking out for your best interests."

Sookie watched him walk away, and this time she let him. How could Eric have lied to her about everything? Bill had every reason to hurt her, but Eric had always been kind. Was any of it real?

* * *

><p>She avoided him for days, not so much because she believed what Bill said, but Sookie had a lot of thinking to do. Her head was confused, and the continuous gossip going on in town didn't help any.<p>

"Poor William, did you hear that Eric Northman threatened him with a knife? After he beat the poor man nearly to death, the guy is a psychopath. I always knew he was a freak; no one that huge and gorgeous could be anything else. If you just look at him wrong, he'll go off on you. I wish they wouldn't let these people in our town, he doesn't belong here."

Sookie had enough; this was not what she wanted to hear at her local market. Didn't these old bats have anything better to do with their time? She was tired of being nice to these people. "All you do is talk shit about things you know nothing about, Mrs. Fortenberry; don't you ever get tired of it? If you don't know the whole story, you shouldn't be spreading stuff around like that. Eric is my friend, and I don't appreciate you judging him. Bill isn't the perfect man you think he is, I'm sure Eric had a very good reason for hitting him. Not that I'm condoning violence of any kind, but you don't know the situation and with all do respect, shut the fuck up." If Gran heard her speak such a way to the elderly, she would be utterly disappointed, but Sookie was finding it hard to care at the moment. There was only so much she could take at once.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away, hearing their harsh, whispered tones behind her. The only thing she wanted to do was go home and take a nap for about a week.

* * *

><p>A knock on the front door had Sookie jerking out of bed, glancing at the clock to see that it was almost dark now. She put her robe on and went to answer it, shocked to see that it was raining out, even more so to notice Eric standing there, drenched from the sudden downpour.<p>

"What are you doing outside in this weather? You'll catch your death." Sookie pulled him in the house, rushing upstairs to grab a towel for him to dry off with.

"I needed to see you," Eric claimed, taking the towel from her and running it through his hair. "Why have you been avoiding me? And don't tell me you're not, I know you are. Did you forget that you promised to help me finish painting today? You haven't been answering your phone, but I know you've been home. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I just forgot about the painting. I must have fallen asleep. I'll just go get changed and then we can head over to your house, hopefully the rain would have stopped by then."

He watched Sookie make her way back upstairs, concerned as to why she wouldn't look directly at him. Something was definitely wrong, and he was determined to find out what.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Okay, what's wrong? You've been painting that same spot for the last twenty minutes, and you've hardly said a word to me."

She let out a breath, putting her brush down. "If I ask you something, do you promise to be completely honest?"

Eric raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Of course, I've been nothing but honest with you."

"Why did you hit Bill?"

That was the last thing he expected. "I know I shouldn't have done it, but he kept talking shit about you with my boss, it just pissed me off. I wanted to shut him up, and sometimes I don't think before I act."

Sookie sat down on the couch, taking in a deep breath before revealing to him her entire conversation with Bill. Once she finished, Eric had pure malice on his features, but somehow knew it wasn't directed at her.

"I'll kill him, apparently punching him wasn't enough. I don't even want to know how the fuck he knew about my family, but to make it seem like I made everything up is the last straw. I have always been honest with you, Sookie; everything he said was a lie. Pam is my sister, and Emily was very much my daughter. I have several scrapbooks that I started since the day she was born if you don't believe me; I'll show them to you right now. I haven't been with another woman since my wife's death, the only thing I do at that construction site is my job. Quinn is the player he accused me of being, Bill was just humiliated by the fact I nearly knocked him unconscious, that's probably why he made all this crap up." Eric's heart just about broke at the sight of her tears, wishing more than anything to beat Compton to a bloody pulp for his accusations. "Please, don't tell me you still believe him. He's only trying to turn you against me."

"What did he say about me that got you to hit him?" she wondered softly.

He knew what she was referring to and really didn't want to tell her, but this moment was all about honesty. When he confessed the truth about her relationship with Compton, her sobs became even harder.

"Why won't he stop hurting me? This whole time and I never saw it; I didn't do anything to deserve being treated that way. All I did was love him."

Eric couldn't take it anymore and pulled her into his arms, letting her cry against his chest.

"God, I'm such a baby. You lost your family, and I'm crying because my boyfriend was a prick. What's wrong with me?" Sookie asked, not really wanting a response as she buried her face in her hands.

He stroked her hair, whispering soothing words in her ear. "There is nothing wrong with you, dear one. You are a strong, beautiful woman. Don't let him take that from you. He's going to end up a very lonely, bitter, old man, while you will be loved and cherished for the rest of your days. It's his loss, I promise you that." He held her for a while longer as her sobs finally started to die down, rocking her gently back and forth. This was probably not the best time, but Eric had to tell her how he felt before he lost his nerve. "I don't just want to be your friend anymore."

She pulled away to look at him, rubbing her eyes. "What?"

"I want to be everything for you, Sookie. I know it's still really soon and neither one of us is probably ready for such a commitment, but I'm willing to take the risk if you are. Ever since you first wandered over here, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I tried to fight it because I felt that I was betraying Felicia's memory by wanting another woman, but now I know that she would have wanted me to be happy." He wiped a tear with his thumb, moving closer to press a chaste kiss to her lips, pulling away and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "What do you say? Are you willing to take the risk, or am I just making a complete idiot out of myself?"

Sookie smiled through her tears, cupping his cheek and meeting his mouth with hers in a tender caress. She didn't know how they ended up in his room, but suddenly found herself lying on his bed as he continued to kiss the breath out of her. He was currently nibbling her neck, but when his hand slipped under her shirt, Sookie finally pulled back. "Wait, I think we need to slow this down."

Eric stopped his ministrations, giving her a nod. "You're right; I got a bit carried away."

She shook her head. "I don't mind that, but this is just all happening so fast. I'm not ready for more yet. Sex tends to complicate things, and I'm pretty comfortable with where we are right now."

He agreed. "I completely understand. We'll take things slow."

Sookie rested her head on his chest, content when he wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry for avoiding you. I just needed to do some thinking, but I never really believed anything that Bill said. How did he even know all of that personal stuff about you? He knew Pam's name, told me that she visited the site a few weeks ago."

"She did, it was her last attempt to try and convince me to move back to New York. The only reason I can think of is that he must have read my work file. Since he's such good friends with Quinn, it wouldn't have been very hard to access."

"I can't believe anyone could be so cruel. I wasted almost five years with that man," Sookie spat. "He played me for a fool this whole time. I'm tired of Bill getting away with everything; he's practically friends with everyone in town. No one would ever believe anything negative about him, even when the evidence is right in front of their face. He embarrasses me twice in Merlotte's, and these people just assume it must be my fault. They're talking shit about how you beat the crap out of him, when they don't even know what really happened. He's probably spreading those rumors himself to try and get some sympathy, it's sickening."

Eric held her tighter, touching his lips to the top of her head. "He'll get his soon enough, love. He'll screw up and do something that he won't be able to talk his way out of. As for everyone else in this town, I wouldn't let them get to you. I could care less what they think of me, and you are far more superior than any of them give you credit for."

Sookie nuzzled his chest. "I actually had a huge crush on you when you first moved in. It took weeks for me to get up the courage to come over and talk to you."

He laughed. "I noticed you my first day here, and always secretly hoped that you would come by. When you never did, I just figured it was because you believed those rumors about me."

She shook her head. "Never, it was just basically me being shy and nervous. No one has ever been able to get that reaction from me."

"I will take that as a compliment."

Sookie smiled up at him. "If you don't mind showing me, I would really like to see those scrapbooks. I'd love to get to know Emily."

Eric smiled as well; this woman had come to mean so much to him in only a short amount of time. It made sense that he would introduce her to the other most important person in his life.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Bill was jerked out of bed by an incessant pounding on his front door, grumbling as he went to see who was stupid enough to disturb him so early in the morning. Eric Northman was the last person he expected to see on the other side.

"What the fuck do you want?"

Eric glared at the much smaller man. "You have a lot of nerve, Compton. What did you hope to accomplish with your little stunt? Did you really think Sookie would believe your lies? Is this your attempt to try and win her back, or are you just that big of an asshole? I think it would be the latter since you made it very clear that you wanted nothing to do with her." He crossed the threshold, getting into Bill's face. "I don't care how you knew about my family, but when you use them as some ploy to turn Sookie against me, that is where we have a problem."

He scoffed. "What are you gonna do, hit me again? I happen to be very close friends with the police chief; it would be my word against yours. Unfortunately for you, I already have the black eye to prove it."

"You can't hide behind other men forever, but I'm only here because you obviously didn't listen to my last warning. If I see you anywhere near Sookie again, if I find out that you've caused her any pain, emotionally or physically, I will end you."

"Oh, now you're giving me death threats? I'm sure the police would love to know about that!" Bill yelled after his retreating back.

Eric kept walking, not about to let the little bastard get to him. At the moment, all he cared about was Sookie's safety. If Bill did anything to jeopardize that, the man would pay in very severe ways, and no concern of spending time in a jail cell would stop him.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is a good idea, Sook?"<p>

She rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time, really tired of the lectures at this point. "The rumors aren't true, Sam. I don't care what Bill or anyone else says, I know Eric better than you do. He's a good man; you would see that if you took the chance to get to know him. He's my boyfriend now and you're just gonna have to deal with that, I don't talk bad about the girls you've dated."

He agreed. "I know, but I just worry about you. After everything Bill put you through, I can't stand seeing you get hurt again."

"And I appreciate that, but you don't have to worry so much. I'm a big girl, more than capable of taking care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time now," Sookie explained, smiling when Eric entered the bar and took a seat at his regular table. It had only been two weeks since they officially became a couple, but now he made a habit of coming in whenever he was on his lunch break.

Sam noticed the lingering stares between the two, letting out a sigh. "Fine, get over there and take his order, I'll be in the back."

Sookie knew he wasn't really there for the food, but still headed over with her pad, a smile firmly in place.

* * *

><p>Sam put the check down in front of Eric after Sookie went to deal with another table, giving the man a look.<p>

"Did you really punch Bill Compton?"

Eric was startled by the question, but wasn't about to lie to one of Sookie's best friends. "Yes, he was saying a lot of rude things about her. It felt like the right thing to do at the time."

Sam nodded, picking up the check and ripping it in half. "Your meal is on the house, but that's only for today. Don't be expecting any special treatment just because you're Sook's new man and all, you got it?"

Eric nodded as well. "Understood, thank you."

He walked away, exchanging a smile with Sookie behind the bar, showing her without words that Eric met his approval. Anyone who stood up to Bill Compton was good in Sam's book.

* * *

><p>Sookie was on cloud nine days later, the looks she kept receiving around town wouldn't even damper her mood. Eric was wonderful; they had yet to go beyond the kissing stage, but that was more than fine with her. It was great being in a relationship with a man who didn't always pressure her to have sex, another clue that Bill wasn't all he seemed. She should have known when he stopped pestering her about it, that likely meant he was going to someone else. Sookie hated herself for not seeing the signs before, but that was all behind her now. She was moving on, and could not be happier by the outcome.<p>

Too lost in her daze, Sookie accidentally crashed into someone, ready to apologize profusely, until she realized who the other person was.

"Perfect, just what I needed to make my day even shittier."

Sookie raised her eyebrows, her good mood suddenly evaporating. "Okay, I've about had enough, what is your problem with me? Bill chose to be with you, so I don't understand why you're always on my case. I never did anything to you."

Lorena rolled her eyes. "I could care less about you, and William obviously chose the better woman. I see you've found another stallion to occupy your time. A little out of your league, don't you think? He came to my boyfriend's house and started making false accusations, I wonder why. It's really sad how you need someone else to fight your battles for you."

"I didn't tell Eric to go over there, but any accusations he made were not false. Bill is the one who does nothing but tell lies, you'll realize that soon enough." She clenched her fists at her side, noticing that Lorena was rubbing her arm and when she moved her hand an inch, there was a clear bruise marring her flesh. Before Sookie could say anything, the other woman took off across the marketplace, apparently done with the conversation.

* * *

><p>Sookie flung her head back to give him better access to her throat, letting out a soft moan. They were currently on his bed since it was bigger than hers, both completely topless. It was evidently further than the making out stage, but their bottoms remained on.<p>

Eric fondled her breasts, lavishing her nipples with his tongue as she continued making the most adorable sounds. He paid special attention to each breast, before moving lower to her stomach, kissing her belly and tonguing her navel, causing her to giggle. He lowered her boy shorts a bit, which were sexy as hell on her, but wouldn't remove them all the way. Eric was aware that this was as far as things would likely go for right now, but he was in no hurry. He glanced up into her glazed eyes, seeing the pleasure clearly written all over her features. "Is this okay?" he wondered softly, leisurely slipping a finger into her shorts and meeting her wet center.

She gasped, nodding her head adamantly. "God, yes, don't stop."

Eric grinned, that being the last thing he had in mind. With her words of admission, he pushed two more fingers inside of her pussy, sliding them in and out. "Let yourself go, dear one, I'll catch you."

Sookie arched her back, coming hard with a cry as he continued to thrust into her.

He caught her scream with his mouth, kissing her senseless, pulling his fingers out when he felt that she was good and sated. Eric rested at her side, wrapping his arms around her shivering form. After licking his digits clean, he pulled the blanket up to cover them with.

"Holy crap, if that's how I feel after just having your fingers inside of me, I think the main course might put me in a coma."

Eric chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "We wouldn't want that, but what has you so distracted? I know you enjoyed every second of what I did to you, but I could tell that your mind was elsewhere."

Sookie sighed, snuggling up against him. "I ran into Lorena at the store today. She was being her usual charming self, but there was something else that bothered me. Her arm was bruised, as if someone yanked her hard. I can guess who that someone was."

"You think Bill is hurting her?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past him; we know he doesn't seem to have any problems with being abusive. I have a feeling that might not be the first time he's hurt her, I just don't understand how anyone could stay with a man like that. If he beat me at all during our relationship, I would have been gone right when it happened, but Lorena's always been weak. She can't be on her own; usually the men she goes after are pretty rich, no matter how horrible they might treat her. She's not exactly a saint herself, but no one deserves that. God, this pisses me off, it's just one more thing Bill gets away with. I know Lorena would never come clean, if I confronted her about this, she'd just deny that he ever did anything to her."

"As I told you before, lover, no one is that slick without eventually getting caught. He'll screw up sooner or later," Eric commented, trailing his hand down her arm to try and sooth her.

"Yeah, but what if it's too late?"

He didn't know what to tell her, instead guiding Sookie's head to his shoulder, running his fingers through her hair until she fell asleep. With a smile on his face, Eric followed right behind her in slumber.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sookie knew that Lorena would probably be at the salon, the woman always had a habit of going every other day or so. She didn't know why, but lucked out when the brunette exited the shop a moment later, hurrying to catch up to her.

"We need to talk."

Lorena turned around, rolling her eyes. "What do you want now? I'm not in the mood."

Without responding, she grabbed Lorena's arm and exposed the bruise that was still there. "I know he did this to you. How could you just let him get away with it?"

She yanked her arm out of Sookie's grasp. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but you need to stay away from me."

"You're not alone in this," Sookie said to stop her from leaving. "I know he's done more than that, why are you protecting him? Bill is nothing but a bully; he needs to be taught a lesson. If you just tell the authorities…"

"You shut the fuck up, bitch!" Lorena spat. "You don't know anything about our relationship, you got that? This is none of your damn business. Bill loves me, you're just jealous because he didn't give a fuck about you. Don't come crying to me because you weren't enough to satisfy him, if you ever accuse my boyfriend of anything like that again, I will make you very sorry."

Sookie let her go that time, knowing a stubborn person when she saw one. She really hoped that confronting Lorena wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass.

* * *

><p>"You shouldn't have gotten involved, Sookie."<p>

She nodded. "I know it was stupid, but I had to say something. I don't think she would actually tell Bill."

Eric ran his fingers through his hair, worry evident on his features. "I hope not. If she doesn't think she needs help, there's really nothing you can do for her. It's best to just let this go, and maybe she'll eventually come to her senses."

Sookie scoffed. "Doubtful, the woman is as stubborn as a mule. And that's coming from me, so you know it's bad."

He smiled, pulling her back down on the bed with him. Eric loved how comfortable she was already, enough to lay half naked with him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He trailed a hand down her boy shorts. "Not that I don't find these incredibly sexy on you, but when do you think we could lose them?"

She blushed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "When we're ready to have sex, it's less tempting if there's an obstacle in the way. You haven't been with anyone since your wife, and I've only been with Bill. I just don't think we're there yet."

"I respect that, but it's killing me not being able to see all of you. What if I promise to keep my hands to myself?"

Sookie laughed, shaking her head. "I somehow doubt you have that much control. No worries, it'll happen soon enough. Right now, you'll just have to settle for above the waist." She picked up one of his large hands, placing it over her left breast and giving it a light squeeze.

He groaned. "You are a cruel woman."

Sookie squealed when he pinned her to the bed, attacking her breasts like a man starved. He licked and sucked until they were raw, lightly biting her nipples.

"Just think about how excellent that would feel if I went a little lower," he whispered huskily.

She let out a whimper, throwing her head back. "Okay, you win, the shorts need to go, but you're only allowed to use your tongue. No funny business, mister."

Eric grinned, quickly divesting her of the last piece of clothing that was in his way. "As you wish," with that said, he thrust his tongue inside her pussy, feasting on her hungrily.

"Oh, sweet mother of God!"

He chuckled against her lips, collecting all of the juices that gushed out of her. Eric ate her out until she was good and sated, licking her clean before moving up to lay beside her. "Was it good for you?"

Sookie panted heavily in the afterglow, glancing over at him. "Shut up," she mumbled, burying her head against his chest.

Eric wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead tenderly as he brushed the sweaty hair out of her face. "That's how it will always be for us, dear one. It doesn't matter if we're out of practice, or just not ready to take the final plunge yet. Everything we do together will be amazing, I can guarantee it."

Sookie smiled, touched by his words. "It's your turn now," she remarked seductively, moving down his body and feeling pleased by the sound of his moans. Deciding to be with this man was by far the best decision Sookie had ever made.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck did you say to her?"<p>

Sookie was taken aback by the unexpected appearance of Bill outside of her house, peering next door to see that Eric wasn't home. "What are you talking about?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't act all innocent, something you said freaked Lorena out. She told me about your little confrontation, but wouldn't give me any details. She's been acting very skittish, and I know it has something to do with you."

"It was just some harmless girl talk, nothing to get upset over. I have work to do." Before she could close the front door in his face, Bill barged through the house, shoving her out of the way.

"I'm not leaving until I know what you said to her. I lied to your big ape, so is this some sort of payback? Did you tell her awful things about me? Save your breath, she'll never listen to a word you say. Lorena is nobody without me, and she knows it. Nothing you say would ever change that."

"You're a real charmer, aren't you? I can't believe I wasted all that time with such a lowlife, but I know exactly what you've been doing. She may not call you out on it, but you don't own me. You're nothing but a coward who gets off on abusing women, I'm just glad I got out when I did," Sookie stated.

"I never laid a fucking finger on her!" Bill retorted. "Is that what the whore told you?"

Sookie shook her head, hatred in every fiber of her being for him. "She didn't have to; I saw the proof on her arm. The same proof you left me that day I went to give you back your stuff. The truth will come out eventually, and your entire reputation will be ruined. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

A look of pure anger took over his features as he moved closer to her. "You don't know who you're dealing with, you fucking cunt. I will ruin you before you could ever ruin me. Lorena got off easy, she talked back to me and I didn't much care for that. The only thing I ever did was shut her up, but I promise she enjoyed every second of it. You on the other hand have been a thorn in my side far too long now, it's about time you learned your place."

Sookie was frightened about what he meant, but before she could react, he pushed her hard into the living room and caused her to crash into the coffee table, the glass cutting her back as it broke under her weight. She cried out from the pain, which was made worse when Bill grabbed her.

"This is your last warning," he claimed in a low tone. "You are going to stay out of my life, or this will be the least of your problems. If you tell anyone about our little exchange, it will be the last thing you ever do. I'm not someone you want to get on the bad side of, do we understand each other?" He shoved her back down into the broken glass, not bothering to wait for a response.

When he left the house, Sookie finally let the tears fall.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Sookie, are you here? You haven't been answering your phone again," Eric called out, surprised to find that her front door was open. He was even more surprised once he reached the living room. "What happened?"

She glanced up at him, wiping her eyes and forcing a smile on her face. "Oh, you know me, I'm such a klutz. I was vacuuming and accidentally collided with the table, I guess it's not as sturdy as I thought. I'm just cleaning up the glass before I cause another accident."

He raised his eyebrows, not completely believing her story. "Be careful, you wouldn't want to cut yourself."

Sookie nodded. "Of course, I've got this under control. Why don't you just wait for me at your house? I'll be by as soon as I'm done."

"Are you okay? You're not acting like yourself, and I can tell you've been crying. I have a feeling it's about more than just breaking your table."

"I'm fine," Sookie said shakily, the tears stinging her eyes. "It's nothing for you to worry about."

Eric stepped closer when it looked like she was about to break down, wrapping his arms around her shaking frame, and immediately pulling away when she winced. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, not able to stop him when he reached for her shirt and lifted it up.

"Shit, Sookie, what the hell happened? Your back is all cut up."

"I fell," she responded.

Eric gave her a pointed look. "I don't care how clumsy you claim to be, I know that's not the truth. What really happened?"

Instead of answering, she burst into tears.

Eric was beyond concerned now as he took her in his arms, being careful not to injure her more. "Love, what is it?" She was too busy trembling to get the words out, but Eric saw all he needed to. Her shoulder was bruised, as if someone had her in a tight grip. Anger clouded his features. "Fucking bastard, I'll kill him for this!"

Her sobs died down, yanking him back before he could go storming across the cemetery. "No, Eric, you'll only make things worse. Please, just let it go."

"How can you possibly ask me to let it go? He threw you into a fucking glass table, Sookie. You can't keep something like this a secret from me, why were you trying to cover for him? That's exactly what he has Lorena doing."

The tears started up again as she tried to make sense of it. "I was scared. I've never seen him like that before, it was terrifying. He…He told me not to say anything or it'll be the last thing I do. I thought he was going to kill me."

His face softened at her heartbreaking expression, taking her back in his arms and placing a kiss to the top of her head. "It makes me crazy knowing that he was able to hurt you and I couldn't do anything to stop it, I should have been here."

"You can't always protect me, Eric. It's like every time I'm with him, I revert back to the girl I used to be. I shouldn't have let him push me around like that; it was my own fault for not being stronger."

He cupped her cheeks, kissing her lips sweetly. "You are strong, but this has to end. I'm taking you to the hospital to get those cuts checked out, and then we're going to the police station. I don't care who the fuck Bill Compton is, he can't get away with this any longer."

Sookie nodded, letting out a breath. "I'll talk to the police, but I don't need a hospital. I feel fine, all I need is for you to put some ointment on my back and I'll be as good as new. I just really want to sleep now; it's been a long day."

Eric didn't feel up to arguing with her, instead he led her to the bedroom, figuring it would be best for him to stay with her tonight, just in case Compton decided to make another appearance. When she finally dozed off after he applied the cream and bandages to her delicate skin, Eric headed downstairs to sweep up the remaining glass. His fists clenched when he saw the damage caused to the table, knowing that fucker had the nerve to push Sookie into it was the last straw. He wanted nothing more than to rid the world of Bill Compton once and for all. No one hurt his girl and got away with it. Eric already lost his wife, but he would be damned if he lost Sookie. That just wasn't an option.

* * *

><p>Sookie clutched his hand the whole way to the station, but he had no complaints, willing to give her what little comfort he could. Something serious looked to take place once they arrived, if the commotion surrounding them was anything to go by. Sookie led him over to the man in charge.<p>

"Sheriff Dearborne, what's going on?" she wondered in confusion.

The older man looked up, rubbing his eyes. "Miss Stackhouse, what are you doing here? We have a bit of a situation; I'm not really at liberty to discuss it."

Sookie took one of the available seats in front of his desk, while Eric sat down in the other. "I've come to talk to you about Bill Compton, he's not very stable. He attacked me in my home last night."

Bud Dearborne's eyes widened. "Lord, this is worse than I thought. I'm afraid Bill has gone missing, something tragic has happened and no one is able to find him."

She didn't like the sound of that. "Please, sir, you have to tell me what's going on. Did something happen to him?"

Bud shook his head, inhaling a deep breath. "Not that I'm aware of, but a Lorena Krasiki was found strangled to death on his property early this morning, we are led to believe it happened some time after midnight. There has been no sign of Mr. Compton since then; my men have been searching the entire town for him."

Sookie gasped, squeezing Eric's hand tighter. "Oh, God, he killed her?"

"We aren't too sure of what really went down, and there are no witnesses."

Eric was silent long enough at that point. "He went missing and the woman was murdered on his property, that's all you need to know. Not only that, but just a few hours before this supposedly happened, he was shoving Sookie into her glass coffee table. You need to find him before he harms anyone else. The man is not a fucking saint, what more proof do you need?"

The sheriff ignored Eric's angry statement, instead focusing on Sookie. "Miss Stackhouse, were you aware of any problems between Mr. Compton and Miss Krasiki?"

"Yes, I believe he was hitting her. I saw bruises on her arm and when I went to confront her about it the other day; she denied that anything was wrong. I could tell that Lorena was lying, but she didn't want my help. Bill showed up at my house after they must have had a fight, he wasn't very pleased that I talked to her."

Bud made a note of everything she told him, glancing back up at her. "And you say that he pushed you into a glass table?"

Sookie stood and raised her shirt to show him her back, figuring he could use some more evidence.

"I'll be damned. Thank you for coming to me with this, we had no idea just the kind of person Mr. Compton was, but I guarantee we will do our best to find him. Until then, you need to be put under our protection."

Sookie sat back down. "What do you mean? Do you think he might come after me?"

Bud nodded. "That could be a possibility, it's best not to take any chances. We'll have a patrol car guarding your house, unless you have another place to stay. You probably shouldn't be alone right now."

"She can stay with me," Eric chimed in.

Sookie assured the sheriff that she was okay with that idea, but really hated being driven out of her own home. She prayed they found Bill soon, before something worse happened.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Sookie was lying in Eric's bed later that night, cuddled up at his side.

"I know I was no fan of Lorena's, but I can't believe she's dead. I was probably one of the last people to see her alive. How could Bill be capable of this? I was with him for almost five years and never once did I think he could hurt anyone, it could have been me."

His grip on her tightened, not able to think about that. "Let's just be glad it wasn't you, I don't know what I would have done."

"I'm sure you would have been fine."

Eric shook his head, pulling her up to look at him. "Do you really believe that? Do you have any idea of what you mean to me? I know we haven't been together very long, but I am so in love with you that I can hardly even think straight anymore. Honestly, I never thought I would love again after Felicia, at least not this soon, but you completely took me by surprise. If I lost you, it would destroy me."

Sookie was choked up at his words, not believing that he could have felt so strongly about her. "I don't know what to say. You mean a lot to me, too, but this is all happening really fast. I'm still in shock by everything that's occurred."

"I understand, and you don't have to say anything. I just needed you to know." He cupped her cheek, pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

"You're the most amazing man I've ever met," she whispered against his lips.

"Likewise, just without the man part."

She laughed, laying back down on the bed and smiling when he joined her. Their hands clasped together, his so much larger that it practically engulfed hers entirely. "I think I'm ready now."

Eric glanced over at her, knowing exactly what she meant. "Are you sure?"

Sookie nodded. "This whole thing made me realize just how short life really is, we shouldn't waste a second of it."

He grinned, not about to be told twice. "Goodbye, shorts, it was nice knowing you." In one quick move, he discarded her boy shorts to the floor, licking his lips in anticipation as he stripped himself, giving her quite a show.

Sookie gasped when her shirt went next, so there was nothing left between them.

"Right, a condom, I should have one in my desk drawer."

She stopped him from getting up, shaking her head. "I've been on the pill for over a year now, we should be good."

He was relieved for that; nothing could tear him away from her in that moment.

"Why exactly do you have a condom? Were you planning on using it any time soon?"

Eric blushed, shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't buy some; my friend at work gave me one when I told him about how serious we were getting. I really had no intention of using it any time soon, but I always hoped we would. I kept it just in case."

That thought relaxed her, for one brief second she actually wondered if he kept condoms around to have sex with other women, but that was just ridiculous. Eric had done nothing but prove how much he cared about her, Sookie had no reason to doubt him. Before she could respond, he was kissing her lips off, his tongue sliding into her mouth.

Eric jerked away when breathing became an issue, smothering kisses along her throat, leaving little nips along the way. He moved down to her chest, fondling and sucking her perfect breasts. The sounds she made turning him on like nothing else. Eric moved even lower, inhaling the delicious scent of her womanhood before plunging his tongue inside.

"Sweet, Jesus, I'll never get used to that."

He chuckled, feasting hungrily on her pussy, satisfied when she arched her back and came hard in his mouth.

"I think I saw stars that time," she panted.

"Mission accomplished, are you sure you're ready? There's no rush."

She nodded, a glazed look in her eyes. "I'm so ready."

That was all Eric needed to hear as he positioned himself over her, staring down at this gorgeous woman that he still couldn't believe was all his. "I'll go slowly since it's been a while for both of us."

Sookie nodded again, taking in a deep breath as she felt the head of his cock penetrate her entrance, throwing her head back once he was buried fully inside of her. "Holy shit, you're so big."

"You are good on a man's ego, I'll give you that. Am I hurting you?"

She shook her head. "No, you can move now."

He did just that, keeping his thrusts gentle as he fucked her. Her moans and the way she bit her bottom lip would soon be his undoing, but he wanted this to last a little longer. Eric continued with a faster pace when he realized she wasn't likely to complain, the bed knocking against the wall, but neither really cared.

"Harder, I can take it."

Eric was never one to deny a lady what she wanted, pounding her hard and fast. She ran her hands all over his back, digging her nails in, but he didn't mind in the least. He could feel how close she was, touching his forehead to hers as they both rode out their orgasms together a minute later. He buried his head against her neck, breathing heavily in her ear. "I love you," Eric whispered huskily, moving away after a few seconds as to not crush her. He wrapped his arms around Sookie, pulling her closer to his side.

"I was wrong before. I didn't see stars until just now."

He smiled, trailing a finger down her arm and feeling her shiver under his touch. "That was only the beginning, my lover. I have much more in store for you."

Sookie could hardly wait.

* * *

><p>"God, this was a really bad idea."<p>

Eric chuckled as the hot water cascaded down his back, his fingers moving leisurely inside of her drenched pussy. "It seems like a brilliant idea to me. You said you wanted a shower, why waste water by both of us showering when we could just do it together?"

She glared up at him, moaning as his fingers continued to caress her slick folds. "This is being even more wasteful, you have no intention of getting me clean."

He grinned, squirting some shampoo into her hair and tenderly massaging her scalp. Leaning her back toward the shower spray to rinse the soap off, once that was done, he moved over to her ear, swiping her wet hair out of the way as he licked the droplets from her skin. "I'd rather just get you off," Eric whispered, burying his fingers back inside of her cunny.

"You don't play fair," she panted.

Eric shrugged, replacing the digits with his cock a moment later, holding her up as he fucked her, making sure she didn't slip in the process.

Sookie threw her head back, wrapping her legs around his tall frame, and knowing that he would never drop her.

He slammed her against the shower wall, pounding her with almost brutal force, but she had no complaints if her pleasurable screams were anything to go by.

Sookie felt that she was close, biting his shoulder as she came undone around him, pleased by his roar of release right behind her. The water grew cold, and she wondered just how long they spent in there. Her hands were all shriveled, which indicated it was longer than any other shower she'd taken before. So much for saving water.

Eric shut the faucet off, grabbing a towel to wrap around her shivering form. He picked her up and carried her into his room, gently placing her on the bed. He knew there was no point in bothering to get dressed; those clothes would never survive the night. Instead they lay naked together under the covers, trying to get warm.

Sookie snuggled up at his side, feeling content for the time being. She was still worried about the earlier events, with Bill on the loose and no telling what he might do next. She shivered, and this time it had nothing to do with being cold. As if Eric could read her thoughts, he pressed a loving kiss to her forehead, holding her tighter.

"I will always protect you, dear one. You have my word on that."

She smiled, having no doubts that he would.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Keep your eyes closed."

"My eyes are closed, not that it would matter. I'm wearing a blindfold."

Eric chuckled. "Just go with me on this, I promise that I'm not leading you off the edge of a cliff."

"You better not," Sookie commented, but she wasn't the least bit worried. "Did I tell you I hate surprises?"

"Many times, I even have it in writing. That doesn't mean you're getting out of this, but since you're so impatient, you can now remove the cloth. We're here."

She did just that, gasping at the display before her. Eric prepared a picnic for two on the beach, which was always her favorite spot as a kid. Sookie once told him about how she loved to lay on the sand and gaze up at the stars, with the sounds of waves crashing in the ocean. "You did all of this?"

He nodded, taking her hand and getting situated on the blanket he put down for them. "I wanted to do something special for you; just having us sit in my backyard with a wave machine didn't sound as appealing. I figured you deserved the real thing, and luckily for us, no one is likely to be around at this time of night."

Sookie teared up, moving closer to peck him on the lips. "You are the sweetest boyfriend ever."

Eric blushed, opening up the basket. "I wasn't sure what you would be in the mood for, so I got a little of everything."

Her eyes widened. "Chocolate covered strawberries? How did you know that was my favorite?"

"I may have gotten some pointers from Sam," he admitted sheepishly.

"You're just full of surprises."

Eric pulled out a strawberry, holding it before her. "I've always preferred having my dessert before dinner, and I know how you can't resist these."

She licked her lips, taking the delectable fruit in her mouth, nibbling a little on his finger in the process.

The juice trickled down her chin. That was all the reason Eric needed to kiss her, tasting the sweet berry and chocolate on her lips.

Sookie fed him one next, and it pretty much ended in the same results. After that, it didn't take long for them to clear the rest of the picnic basket. She patted her stomach. "I don't think I'll ever be able to eat again."

He laughed. "I do have a way to burn those calories."

She shook her finger at him. "Mr. Northman, I am a lady. I will not be having sex with you on a beach, empty or not."

Eric pouted. "How about in the water?"

"You know better than that, you're supposed to wait at least a half an hour after you eat. Besides, it's freezing in there and I didn't bring a swimsuit."

"Even better," he said with a wicked grin.

Sookie laughed. "Is that all you think about?"

"Occasionally, any chance to get you naked is good in my book, but first I come bearing gifts."

She sat up, raising her eyebrows when he pulled a black box out of his bag. "You didn't have to get me anything; the picnic was more than enough."

"I know, but I saw this and thought of you. It's not much."

Sookie opened the box to find a charm bracelet inside, realizing that it was already filled with charms of all her favorite things. "Oh, Eric, it's beautiful. How did you manage this?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know most of what you like by now, but I've been talking with your friends about what sort of charms to get for it. There's still room if you wanted to add your own, I just thought I'd start you out."

She put the bracelet on, watching how it shimmered in the moonlight. "Thank you, it's perfect."

Eric kissed her lips sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Happy Birthday, Sookie."

She smiled, giving him a more passionate kiss. "I think this just got you a lot closer to having ocean sex."

He grinned, loving the sound of that.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm now thinking this isn't a good idea. It's freezing, Eric, there's no way I'm getting in there."<p>

He shrugged, continuing to remove his clothing. "You'll just have to wait until I'm done, then. Nothing is too cold for me."

Sookie's jaw nearly dropped when he ran through the waves, stark naked. "I can't believe you actually did that!" she called after him. He started to splash her, but she dodged out of the way, her feet alone felt like icicles. That was the only part of her body she would allow to get wet. Just because he wanted to act like a child, didn't mean she had to go along with it. "Are you done yet? It's getting late and I don't want you turning into a prune." After a few seconds of him being underwater, she started to worry that he had yet to resurface. "Eric, where are you? This isn't funny!" When a minute passed with still no sign of him, Sookie started to panic. She yanked her clothes off in a hurry, diving in after him. Tears stung her eyes when she couldn't find him, squealing as something grabbed her leg, or better yet, someone. "You son of a bitch!" she yelled at the laughing man before her, who had obviously not been drowning. "You had me worried sick that something happened to you!"

Eric sobered up at the sight of her tears, wrapping his arms around her, even though she did her best to push him away. "I'm sorry, dear one, please don't cry. I didn't mean to scare you; I just wanted to get you in here."

"Jerk, I should have let you drown. And now thanks to your little stunt, I'm freezing my ass off."

He kissed her hair, rubbing her arms. "I could warm you up."

Sookie gasped when she felt his fingers penetrate her entrance, holding tightly to him. "We can't," she whispered, but the ability to say more had suddenly left her.

"Oh, I think we can." Eric smashed his lips to hers, impaling her pussy in one quick plunge as he made sure to keep her above the water. He made his thrusts hard and fast, coming after a few seconds. Sookie panted in his ear, and it just turned him on all the more. He led her out of the water, carrying her over to their picnic and grabbing two towels for them out of his bag. He wrapped one around her shivering form, drying her hair as best he could before doing the same to himself. He pulled her down, taking her in his arms as he kept trying to get her warmed up. "Is that better?"

Her teeth stopped chattering, pulling the towel more firmly around her body as she rested against his strong chest, his arms draped securely around her. "There's never a dull moment with you, is there?"

Eric smiled, pecking her on the cheek. "Never, how does this birthday rate with the others?"

She smiled as well. "Best birthday ever."

He kissed her neck, moving up to nibble on her ear. "I love you."

Sookie pulled his arms tighter around her, bringing one of his hands to her mouth to place a kiss on his knuckles. "I love you, too. So much that it has me terrified, I've never felt this way before. If things didn't work out, I would be devastated."

"You have nothing to worry about, Sookie. I'm never letting you go."

She believed him, but that wasn't exactly a promise he could make. You never knew what could happen down the road; Sookie just hoped they would be able to handle anything the world threw at them. This was the happiest she'd ever been, and it would break her heart if he ever decided to be free of her. But she wasn't going to think such thoughts; instead she leaned back against his chest and continued to watch the waves crashing in the ocean.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"_Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?"_

_Sookie jerked in bed, her hands tied to the post. "What do you want?"_

_Bill scowled, trailing a knife along her body. "You took my life from me. Now, I'm going to take yours."_

* * *

><p>She awoke with a start, sweat dripping down her face.<p>

"What's wrong?"

Sookie tried to control her breathing enough to answer him. "Nothing, it was just a bad dream."

Eric pulled her back down to his side. "Must be some dream, your heart is beating awfully fast. Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, lying down on his chest, and sighing in contentment as his strong arms wrapped around her. "I don't remember. Let's just go back to sleep, I didn't mean to wake you."

"I don't mind, but now that we're both awake, there's something I need to discuss with you."

Sookie was concerned at the serious tone of his voice, nodding for him to continue as she sat up.

He took a deep breath before doing just that. "The anniversary of my family's death is next month, and I was thinking of returning to New York to pay my respects. I can't avoid seeing my parents forever; I spent over an hour on the phone with Pam yesterday. She basically made me feel guilty if I didn't visit them. I'm in a better place now, but I think this is something I need to do. It's the only way to get closure."

Sookie nodded in understanding, even though she would miss him like crazy. Her dream suddenly came back to her, and realized that being alone right now was the last thing she wanted, but would respect his wishes. "It would be the right thing to do. How long do you think you'll be gone for?"

Eric ran his fingers through his hair. "That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about, I wasn't exactly planning on taking this trip alone. I was hoping you would accompany me, but that's only if you wish to. I don't want you to feel like you have to come just to please me."

Her eyes widened. "Really? You want me to go with you?"

"Of course, I'll probably only be gone for about a week, but I can't imagine being away from you for even that long. I told Pam about us and she wants a formal meeting, since she practically ruined the last one. It would also mean a lot for my parents to see how happy I am now, and they can hopefully stop worrying about me being so far away."

"Yes, I can do that," Sookie stated a little too eagerly, clearing her throat. "I mean, I'll have to let Sam know that I need the early vacation time, but I'm sure he'll be okay with it."

Eric sighed in relief. "Good thing for that, I think we both could use a little time away after everything with Compton. I know that's what you dreamt, I heard you crying out in your sleep."

She let out a breath. "They still haven't found him yet, and I just know he hasn't left town. I'm so tired of feeling paranoid, thinking he's going to come out from hiding and attack me at any moment. I don't feel safe here anymore."

He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You will always be safe with me, dear one. I won't let anything happen to you, I give you my word."

"I know, but I can't even stay in my own house unless you're there, too. Not that I mind you being there, but I just hate feeling like this. I hate that he has me running scared, that's not who I am."

No more words needed to be said, Eric had a feeling they wouldn't do much good at the moment. He just held her until she finally drifted back off to sleep, knowing that she was protected for another night.

* * *

><p>"Wow, meeting the parents already, I don't envy you."<p>

Sookie rolled her eyes. "It had to happen eventually, this is just what I need. I've never been anywhere outside of Louisiana before. I just hope his parents like me; I didn't make the best first impression on his sister."

Amelia waved her hand in the air. "What's not to like? You're every mother's fantasy of who they wish their son could end up with. Tray's mother hated me at first, but now she loves me, more or less. I doubt you have anything to worry about."

That didn't leave Sookie feeling very reassured, but she finished cleaning off the table she was working on, just as Alcide entered the bar. He lived in Shreveport, so she was a bit surprised to see him.

Amelia gave a low whistle. "I tell you, if I wasn't completely devoted to Tray..."

Sookie laughed, not needing to hear the rest of that sentence. "Hey, what brings you here?"

Alcide glanced up at her with a smile. "Just thought I'd see what this place had to offer, we haven't really talked in a while."

"I've been pretty busy, but it's nice to see you again." Eric walked in then and she waved at him, concerned by the frown on his face. "I'll be right back." She headed over to his table, smile firmly in place. "I wasn't expecting you tonight."

"Who's your friend?"

It took her a second to realize who he was referring to. "Oh, Alcide? He was the blind date Amelia set me up on; we just agreed to stay friends. Not sure how good of a friend I've been, though, this is the first time we've seen each other since that night. Do you want your usual?"

Eric nodded, giving her a smile that didn't really reach his eyes.

She went to put his order in, confused by how quiet he seemed to be.

"My Lord, that man is all kinds of handsome," Arlene said, pointing to Alcide in the back. "You actually went out with that stallion, yet you still chose to date the child killer? I'll never understand you, Stackhouse."

Sookie slammed the cup down that she was holding, giving the red head a harsh look. "You don't know anything, and I would appreciate you not calling him that. Eric has already proven many times that he's a good man, what more does it take to get through to some of you people? Bill is the one who murdered his girlfriend and is now a wanted fugitive, but I don't hear anyone saying shit about him."

Arlene held her hands up in surrender. "Jeez, take a pill already. I didn't mean nothing by it."

"Still, that kind of talk is completely inappropriate. I won't have you badmouthing my boyfriend again, you got it?" Sookie calmed down after the other woman walked away, taking in a deep breath.

"Dumb bitch had that coming. She's the last one who should be giving relationship advice," Lafayette told her. "You done good with that tall drink of water. Hold on to that sexy Viking, girl, or I might just have to steal him away."

Sookie graced him with a smile. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She grabbed Eric's food and headed back over to him, seeing that Arlene decided to take Alcide's table. That was more than fine with her. It was time for her break, anyway. Sookie sat down in front of Eric, grasping his clenched fist in her hand. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

He glanced up at her, shaking his head. "It'll never end, will it? I'll always be known as the psycho who was capable of murdering his own kid."

"No, baby, don't say that. This town is all about the gossip, most of what they say is never true. We know what's real, and that's the only thing that matters. You don't have to prove anything to them. If you ask me, certain people need to get a damn life!" she raised her voice, loud enough for Arlene to hear, who sent a glare in her direction. Sookie raised his hand to her mouth, touching her lips to his knuckles. "I love you."

Eric smiled, kissing her knuckles in return. "I love you, too." As long as he had this woman by his side, nothing else mattered.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Are you okay? You've been really quiet."

Eric sat down on the bed, running his fingers through his hair. "I was at the store, and I heard these women talking about me. Basically the same shit your friend Arlene was going on about, it had me thinking when it would fucking end. I've been in this town for several months now. I've kept to myself, haven't bothered anyone, and I'm still treated like some circus freak. Never did I expect to be relieved to return to New York, even for one week. It would be a welcome distraction." He took her hand, pulling her down on the bed with him. "You are the only person keeping me sane right now. I'm not even bothered with seeing my parents again, as long as you're there with me. I don't think I could handle it alone."

Sookie rested her head against his shoulder, entwining her fingers with his. "We're in this together; you never have to worry about that. I think I'm ready to stay at my house tonight. I'm done being afraid of what Bill might do, he can't hurt me anymore."

"You might be ready, but I'm not. I won't be able to rest knowing you're next door by yourself, not until they catch him."

"Oh, I wasn't planning on being there by myself," she commented. "I'm not that brave just yet, but I feel it's time to sleep in my own bed. You will of course be joining me."

He smiled, kissing her temple. "You have yourself a deal."

* * *

><p>"I won't apologize; you need to learn how to take a joke."<p>

Sookie glared at the red head. "What part of calling my boyfriend a child killer was supposed to be funny? He already gets enough crap from everyone around town; he doesn't need it from someone who is supposed to be my friend. I love you, Arlene, but you can be so damn judgmental sometimes. You make all kinds of bad decisions in your life, but do I ever say anything negative to you about it? No, because friends support one another through the good and the bad. The kind of friend Sam and Amelia have been to me, where's the support on your end?"

Arlene nodded, letting out a sigh. "Okay, I get your point. I'm sorry for saying what I did. I don't really know Eric and as far as boyfriends go, he seems decent enough. Just be careful, it took me four husbands to finally get it right."

Sookie rolled her eyes, praying to anyone who would listen to let her get it right the first time.

* * *

><p>She was glad that Sam gave her the extra vacation time, but wasn't really worried. He knew how much she could use the break. In two more weeks, she would be off to New York with Eric. Sookie knew they weren't going for fun, but it would still be her first time in the big city. It was hard not to be somewhat excited, even though she dreaded meeting his family. It was bound to happen sooner or later.<p>

"When did everything get so complicated?"

Sookie was broken out of her reverie by a voice to her side, gasping at the sight of Bill standing there. She was headed to her car in the Merlotte's parking lot after a busy night, and he was the last person she expected to see. "What?" He looked awful, paler than usual, and it was as if he hadn't slept in days.

Bill shook his head, pacing back and forth. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I'm not that person. My father was an asshole, he did nothing but beat my mother and I senseless. I told myself that when I got older, I would never be like him. I…I didn't mean to hurt her. She was saying all kinds of drivel and I just wanted her to shut up, she wasn't supposed to talk back to me. That's not how things worked. I grabbed her just to make her stop, but I didn't mean to kill her. You have to believe that. I just wanted her to stop."

Sookie gulped, thinking of how it would be best to approach him. "It's okay; you just need to go to the police. Tell them everything you told me, then it will all be over. You won't have to run anymore. You can do the right thing, I know you didn't mean for this to happen. It was just an accident." She figured arguing with him would be a very stupid move, so decided to try another tactic.

"No, they won't understand. I can't go to jail; I'll never survive in there. That's not an option; I'm only coming to you now because I know you're someone I can trust. I've been so horrible to you, Sookie, but he's not good enough. You can come away with me; I'll finally give you the life you deserve. The life we should have had from the start, I was an idiot to think I could live without you."

"I can't do that, Bill. Please, you have to turn yourself in," she pleaded, hoping he would listen for once.

Anger clouded his features at her dismissal. "You always were a stubborn bitch, you know that? I'm offering you the world. You'll never have to work again, I'll give you everything you desire and you're throwing it all away for a man who will eventually grow tired of you? Stop!" Bill yelled, noticing that she was going for her cell phone. "Put it down, this isn't the time for heroics."

Sookie pulled out her phone, placing it on the ground. She was going to shout and hope that someone would come running, but when he yanked a black object out of his pocket, she remained quiet.

He moved closer to her, seeing the fear in her eyes as he raised the gun. "I didn't want it to come to this, but I don't have another alternative. I can't go to prison."

She felt tears form, not knowing what else to do. "You don't want to do this, there's already blood on your hands. I know you loved me once, please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone that I saw you, I'll even help you leave town. You can go somewhere and start new; no one will ever have to know. But if you kill me, your life really will be over."

Bill raised the gun higher. "It already is," and with that said, he pulled the trigger.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Sookie screamed when Bill aimed the gun for his head and blew his brains out all over the pavement, seeing her ex-boyfriend's now lifeless body on the ground, his blood flowing over the concrete. Chaos erupted as Sam, along with a few last minute patrons ran out of the bar, taking in the scene before them. Sirens could be heard in the distance and she knew someone called the police, but was too stunned to move. It wasn't until Sam took a hold of her that she snapped out of it, promptly bursting into tears. The fear that he would end up shooting her, and then having to witness him commit suicide was just too much to bear. Before she knew it, Eric was there and taking her in his arms, letting her cry against his chest. She was never so relieved to see anyone in her life.

* * *

><p>"Do you want me to make you something to eat? You're probably starving."<p>

Sookie shook her head, still in a daze. She was finally back at her house, after spending nearly an hour at the station to tell the police everything that happened. "The look in his eyes, I've never seen that before. Not even when he shoved me into the table, I was so scared that he was going to shoot me. I've never seen anyone kill themselves; I can't believe Bill could have done something like that. He would have rather been dead than go to jail, it makes no sense."

Eric sat down beside her. "He was a very sick man, love. I don't think there were any limitations to what he would do, I'm just so thankful that you weren't hurt. I almost had a heart attack when Sam called. I'm sorry you had to see that, but I can't be sorry he's gone. I know that probably makes me a horrible person, but he brought you nothing but misery. If I could, I would kill him all over again for putting you through this."

"You could never be a horrible person, but I doubt my nightmares will go away now. I can't wait to get away from here for a while."

Eric was pleased that she still wanted to go with him, and as much as he was dreading the upcoming trip back home, he was looking forward to spending it with his girl.

* * *

><p>"Damn, that's pretty fucked up. I never would have guessed Bill Compton could be so crazy. He was always such a decent guy."<p>

Sookie rolled her eyes. She wanted everyone to stop gossiping about Eric, but hearing Bill's name wherever she went wasn't any better. She held her head up high, ignoring the whistles of the perverted men who worked at the construction site; there was only one she cared to see.

"Oh, fuck, baby! Do it harder!"

Sookie stopped; appalled at the sounds coming from inside one of the trailers, having a feeling of whom it belonged to. This may be outdoor work, but it was still a place of business and that was completely unprofessional. He apparently didn't care about the death of his friend. The door flew open a moment later, and a much disarrayed brunette came out, fixing her skirt in the process.

"You were great, babe. I'll see you tomorrow," the bald man said with a leer.

She gave him one last kiss on the cheek before walking away, leaving Quinn to stare after her backside, licking his lips.

"God, you are such a pig."

He turned at the new voice, looking her up and down. "Sookie Stackhouse, to what do I owe this pleasure? If you would like to take a test drive, I can show you just how much of a pig I am. Although, I prefer tiger, it's manlier."

Sookie scrunched up her nose in distaste. "I'm trying to keep my lunch down, thank you very much. I'm looking for Eric."

"Northman left early today, said there was some emergency. I thought you two were real close now, guess he didn't care to mention it."

"I'm sure if it was anything of major importance, he would have told me." Sookie took off without waiting for a response, knowing the prick was checking out her behind, but could really care less. Right now, she just wanted to find her boyfriend.

* * *

><p>Sookie entered his house, both of them having exchanged keys weeks ago. She found him lying in bed shirtless, but his jeans were left on. Without saying a word, she took her shoes off and lay down beside him, placing her head against his chest.<p>

"I can't turn my brain off," he muttered after a minute of silence.

She glanced up at him. "What do you mean?" When he looked at her, Sookie noticed that his eyes were red, as if he had been crying.

Eric inhaled a breath. "Everyone at work was talking about what happened, I had to get out of there. I know this doesn't even have anything to do with me, but when I think about Compton pointing that gun at you…" his voice trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence. "It could have been so much worse. Whenever you spend the night, I practically lie awake just watching you sleep, thinking about what my life would be like without you in it. Because if I close my eyes, I see it all happening differently. I am so terrified every day that something, or someone, will take you away from me."

Sookie grasped his hand, giving it a light squeeze as tears filled her eyes. "I'm right here, baby. Hey, look at me." She waited until his eyes were focused on hers, taking in a deep breath. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? Not for a very long time."

It was nice to believe, but there was no way she could know that. Still, she gave him so much hope in just a few words. Eric cupped her face, kissing her closed eyelids, the tip of her nose, both of her cheeks, and finally reaching her lips, tasting the salt of her tears that mixed with his own. "I love you so much," he whispered, rubbing noses with her.

She smiled, feeling choked up. "I love you, too. Always and forever."

* * *

><p>Eric hardly left her side after that, but Sookie had no complaints. They walked hand in hand to the market to do some last minute shopping for their trip; Sookie pulled him over to a group of elderly ladies in one of the aisles, clearing her throat to get their attention.<p>

"Do you have something to say to me now, Mrs. Fortenberry?"

The woman scoffed, and with one last glare that her friends reciprocated, left without a word.

Sookie shook her head at their departure. "Well, that was just rude."

Eric chuckled. "I think that's the best you're likely to get from them."

She shrugged and carried on with her shopping, counting down the days until they were off to the city that never sleeps. It couldn't come soon enough.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

This was it, the moment Sookie had been dreading and looking forward to at the same time. But as of right now, she was more nervous than anything else.

"I don't think I can do this. What if they hate me?"

Eric shook his head. "Not possible, they're going to love you."

"How do you know that?" she wondered.

He kissed her lips sweetly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Because I love you, and all my parents care about is that I'm happy. You can do this; I'll be with you every step of the way."

Sookie nodded, taking in another calming breath as she followed Eric into his parents' house.

* * *

><p>"It is so great to finally meet you. The few times we've spoken to Eric on the phone, he does nothing but go on about you."<p>

Sookie blushed, smiling at the woman before her. She seemed kind, and really tiny compared to his father. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Northman; you have a very lovely home."

She waved her hand in the air. "Please, call me Margaret; we don't have to be so formal here."

Eric was in the kitchen with his father, giving the women some privacy, but Sookie really didn't know what to say. When Pam made her presence known a few minutes later, everything just became even more awkward.

"So, what exactly did you do to get my brother's attention? It took him months to ask Felicia out, and that was only because I practically had to force him. You can't tell just by looking, but he's always been a bit shy."

Sookie chose her words carefully, afraid to get on this woman's bad side after their first meeting. "I just went over to introduce myself with cookies, my grandmother's recipe. You can't go wrong with those."

"How sweet," Pam claimed, rolling her eyes. "I don't know how he could stand living in that place. From what I've seen, it's not all that special."

The way she was looking at Sookie proved she meant more than just the town.

"That's quite enough, Pamela. Sookie is our guest and your brother's girlfriend, you will show her respect or you won't be allowed to stay for dinner."

The blonde laughed. "I can't believe you're falling for this act, Mother. I know the kind of people she lives with, barracudas who do nothing but gossip about things they don't understand. I was only there briefly and heard the things they were saying about him, you would have been disgusted. He can do better than some cheap floozy in a hick town."

Sookie wanted to cry, but wasn't about to in front of his family. It could wait until she was alone.

"All right, that does it," Eric remarked after hearing everything his sister said, moving to Sookie's side and taking her hand in his. "I know Felicia was your friend, but Sookie is the best thing that's happened to me since the accident. She is nothing like those people; all she has ever done is stand up to them in my defense. She is a kind, good hearted woman, and I love her dearly. If you can't treat her like the amazing person she is, then I don't have anything else to say to you. I love you, Pam, you're my sister and that'll never change, but I will leave if you can't learn to be civil to her. You said you wanted to meet her officially and do things right, was that only a ploy to get us to come here just so you could attack her? I thought you were better than that. I'm sorry, Mom, but I don't think we can stay. This was obviously a mistake."

Margaret shook her head. "No one is going anywhere; I haven't gotten a chance to know Sookie yet. You are going to behave yourself, young lady," she told Pam, giving her daughter a stern look. "You're twenty-six, it was about time you started acting your age. We are going to sit down and have a nice, family dinner together. If you can't do that, you know where the door is."

Pam crossed her arms over her chest, but didn't budge. That was as good as things were probably going to get from her.

"Dinner's served," Mr. Northman stated, coming out of the kitchen and noticing the tension around him. "What did I miss?"

* * *

><p>Sookie found Pam outside after what was a very uncomfortable dinner, wanting a little time alone with the other woman.<p>

"I love your brother more than anything," she said to break the ice, taking in a deep breath when Pam looked her way before continuing. "I know this is all happening so fast. We haven't known each other all that long, but sometimes it only takes one moment to know when you've found the right person. I know he loved Felicia very much and she meant a lot to all of you, but I'm not trying to replace her. I could never do that. I'm just asking for a chance, maybe if you get to know me a little better, you'll see I'm not all that bad. I would never take Eric away from his family; you all mean the world to him. Just because he no longer lives here, it doesn't mean he loves you any less. I don't have much family left; it means everything that I get to be here with his, but it would be even better if we could get along. I know he would want that."

Pam stood up, staring the other blonde down. "Look, you seem nice enough, and I apologize if we got off on the wrong foot. I'm just looking out for him, Eric's my big brother and he's always been there for me. I'm the one who introduced him to Felicia; he wasn't even really interested in her until I kept pestering him to ask her out. I know I shouldn't have interfered, but he can be so stubborn sometimes. I'm sure you've noticed. Anyway, they eventually fell in love, but their relationship was far from perfect. They argued constantly and even talked about separation for a while, but that all changed when Emily came into the picture. In the end, they decided to stay together for her sake, but the love they once felt wasn't as strong as it used to be. Honestly, I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you; it was a lot to take in. Even with their relationship going downhill, I just couldn't fathom him ever falling in love with someone else, but I see that I was very wrong. It's not an easy thing for me to admit. You make him happy, that's what's most important, but if you ever do anything to hurt my brother, you will be very sorry. Ask around, I'm not someone you want to piss off."

Sookie gulped at the look of determination on her face, nodding after a moment. "I understand, but you have nothing to worry about. I'd never do anything to hurt him."

"Good, see that you don't and we'll get along just fine."

She let out a breath when Pam walked over to her car, heading out of the driveway with squealing tires. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist a second later, Sookie smiled and leaned back against his chest.

"Should I be worried?" he wondered.

Sookie shook her head. "I think we're okay now. Are you ready to go?"

Eric nodded, this being the last thing he wanted to do, but it was the whole reason for their trip. No matter how much it might pain him.

* * *

><p>He stood in front of the tombstones, one bigger than the other. Eric kneeled down in front of the larger one first, placing the flowers he picked up on the way there and tracing the name with his fingers.<p>

"Hello, sweetheart, I'm sorry it took me this long to visit you. I hope you're at peace, and you have everyone up there waiting on you hand and foot. I wasn't the easiest person to live with, I know that, but not a day goes by that I don't miss you. I wanted you to know that I'm doing better now. I've met someone, Sookie Stackhouse," he explained, tugging on Sookie's hand and pulling her down by his side, not wanting to do this alone. "I know it's a funny name, but I think it suits her. She's a wonderful woman; I really think you two would have liked each other." Eric knew he was babbling, rolling his eyes at himself. Felicia was his wife and a jealous one at that, there's no way they probably ever would have been friends, but it was still a nice thought. "Goodbye, love, I'll try not to take too long next time."

Sookie let his hand go, watching the color drain out of his face when he moved to the next headstone. "Do you want me to give you some privacy?"

Eric shook his head, putting down the other bouquet he brought and grasping her hand again. "No, I need you here." He may have held it together when talking to Felicia, but now staring at the grave that held his little girl, there was no chance of that as the tears started to form in his eyes. "Hey, baby, it's your daddy. I can't tell you how sorry I am for not coming to see you sooner, it was just too hard. I'm sure your mother is taking good care of you, but I hope you're doing everything she says. You were a blessing, angel, a miracle that we never knew was possible. I will continue to think that for the rest of my days, there will never be a more perfect little girl. I need you to take care of each other now, and know that I'll always be with you." The tears were streaming down his face and he didn't care to hide them, letting Sookie guide his head to her shoulder as he cried his heart out, and holding her even tighter.

"It's okay, honey, I'm right here."

Once the sobs died down a bit, he loosened his grip on her, seeing that she had tears in her eyes as well. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. "She really was a miracle," Eric said after a moment of silent contemplation. "We were told that Felicia wasn't able to have children. Our marriage was falling apart, but when we found out that she was pregnant, it was like a wake up call. We had to get our act together and be there for this child, she was obviously given to us for a reason. I'll never understand how the fates could be so cruel as to give us this miracle, only to take her away years later. Take them both away, but I think I understand why I was spared now." He caressed her cheek, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "I was meant to meet you, and even though I will always miss them, I can't regret that."

Sookie smiled through her tears, pulling him up from the ground. Hand in hand, they both strolled out of the cemetery and off to their new life together.


	18. Epilogue

**After much debating with myself, I decided to add a little epilogue to this story. It's not much, just some Christmas fluff for the holiday season. I figured I would give a little glimpse into their future, hope you guys like it=)**

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Two years later, Eric and Sookie were currently living in Georgia. After he got a job opportunity there, they couldn't resist moving. Bon Temps held a lot of bad memories for both of them, and leaving wasn't too hard after that.

It was Christmas Eve, and Sookie was sitting by the fireplace, their decorated tree sparkling in the living room. She would sit and watch it for hours, pondering over the news she still had yet to tell Eric. Sookie knew he would be happy, but she dreaded it all the same. Right now, she was missing his presence more than anything else. His job caused him to work late hours, and she didn't even know if he would be home for Christmas. In fact, she hadn't seen much of him lately. He'd been distant, and she really worried that he was starting to regret being with her, but that was a completely insane thought.

The front door opened, pulling Sookie out of her reverie.

"Hey, what are you still doing up?"

She shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. What are you doing home already?"

Eric took his coat off, placing it on the rack as he made his way over to her. "They let me leave early. You know, Santa won't come if certain little girls don't get to bed."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child; you know that won't work on me. Besides, I have too much on my mind to think about sleeping."

He sat down beside her. "Care to enlighten me?"

"It's not important, you should turn in. You've probably had a long night. I just want to watch the tree a little bit longer."

"Sweetheart, what's troubling you?" Eric wondered with concern. "Something has bothered you for weeks now, don't think I haven't noticed. I know I've been working a lot, but I'm still as perceptive as I've always been."

She felt tears in her eyes, quickly wiping them away. "Do you want to be here with me? I know it's probably a stupid thing to ask, but I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. Even when we last made love; it didn't feel like you were really here with me. You've been distracted, and I don't know if it's something I've done or what. The thought of you having any regrets about us leaves me with a hole in my heart."

Eric couldn't believe she could think such a thing, but supposed she had every right. He took her in his arms, kissing her forehead tenderly. "I have no regrets, dear one; you know how much I love you. I'm sorry if I hadn't shown you lately, but I had no idea you were feeling this way. I'll work less hours, it pains me to think that you've been feeling neglected."

Sookie shook her head. "You don't need to spend all of your time with me. I'm not one of those women who needs her man to be there every second of the day. I know how much you love your job."

"Compared to you, it means nothing to me. Now, why don't we both turn in? The faster we get to sleep, the sooner Christmas will be here."

She gave a sad smile, standing up. "It's after midnight, Christmas is already here."

Eric watched her head to the bedroom with a heavy heart. He had to make this right.

* * *

><p>Sookie awoke to the aroma of bacon and pancakes. Eric's side was still made, which led her to believe that he never came to bed. She put her robe on and walked downstairs, seeing her boyfriend in the kitchen wearing nothing but a Santa hat and jeans. She smiled at the sight.<p>

"Aren't you cold?"

He turned at her voice, gracing her with a smile of his own. "Hardly, this weather is nothing. Take a seat, breakfast is almost ready."

She did just that. "Why didn't you come to bed last night? Are you mad at me because of what I said?"

Eric shook his head, setting two plates down at the table before sitting himself. "Of course not, but you have given me a lot to think about. Before anything more is said, I want you to open one of your gifts now. This is why I have been so distracted lately, I just didn't realize how much until you told me. I never want you to feel that I regret being here. Being with you is the best decision I have ever made."

She took the box from him that he put in front of her, opening it to reveal an elegant diamond ring. Sookie gasped, a hand covering her mouth at the implication. Without waiting for a response, Eric was kneeling beside her, grasping her other hand in his.

"Sookie Stackhouse, I love you more than anything. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. "God, yes, you don't even have to ask."

Eric laughed, placing the ring on her finger where it rightfully belonged.

"Why would this have you so distracted? Did you actually think I would say no?"

He shrugged. "I had my doubts; it was mostly just me being nervous. I kept busy at work to take my mind off of proposing. I was going to wait until New Year's to ask you, but this seemed more appropriate. My nerves would have driven me crazy if I waited any longer."

Sookie smiled, kissing his lips sweetly. "I love you so much, and this now makes what I have to say even more perfect. You're not the only one who's been really nervous recently, I've been dreading telling you this for a while." She took in a deep breath to calm herself, deciding to just get it over with. "I'm pregnant, Eric."

His eyes widened. "You're pregnant? We're having a baby?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know we've never really talked about kids before, and for all I know, you don't want any after what happened with Emily. I know the pain of losing your daughter will always be with you, but I just hope you can be happy. I've already accepted this child and I've been so worried about telling you, but I'm not giving this baby up."

Eric raised his hand, effectively cutting her off. "Sookie, did you honestly believe I wouldn't be ecstatic about you having my child? I didn't think anything could top you accepting my proposal, but you've just made me the happiest man in the world. Having a baby with you would be a blessing, there's nothing I want more."

Sookie sighed in relief, letting him take her in his arms and smother kisses all along her face.

"I'm going to do right by the both of you, no matter what. Nothing will ever take you away from me, I'll see to that."

She smiled through her tears. "I have no doubts. Merry Christmas, Eric."

He rested his forehead against hers, feeling entirely blissful. "Merry Christmas, my love."

**The End**

* * *

><p><strong>Happy holidays one and all!<strong>


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